DILI, 13 january, 2021 (TATOLI) – An aircraft from Jakarta Indonesia, carrying a patient infected with covid-19, bound to Brisbane, is immobilized at Nicolau Lobato International Airport, Dili, following an incident that occurred this Tuesday, around 17:30 Timor-Leste hour.
According to the Deputy Minister of Health, Bonifácio Maukoli dos Reis, the flight brings a staff of the World Food Program (WFP) who is infected with covid-19 from Jakarta for the treatment in Brisbane.
The plane is said to have requested authorization from the National Civil Aviation Authority of Timor-Leste, landing at the Timorese airport in order to refuel. When trying to take off to continue the journey, the wheels were burst. The people inside the flight are the two pilots, two doctors along with the patient.
“They are resting at the airport. We know that a patient infected with covid-19 is on board, ” Bonifácio Maukoli dos Reis told reporters at Dili, Nicolau Lobato International Airport.
According to Maucoli, the Timorese authorities were informed that, it is impossible to make other flights to Brisbane due to bad weather in Australia.
“[Timorese] health authorities have an obligation to observe the patient in a case of emergency, the solution must be collective and, from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior, and other relevant Ministries ”, he explained.
Meanwhile due to the flight was delayed, Mr Reis said, one of the possibilities is to transfer the patient to the Vera Cruz Isolation Center.
Journalist: Felicidade Ximenes
Editor: Agapito dos Santos
