Tanjungpinang - The crew of the KM Sabuk Nusantara 83 ship tested positive for Covid19. The Riau Islands Task Force Team recorded 22 crew members as Covid-positive.

Pelni Ltd. as the manager of KM SN 83 will replace the previous crew to keep  KM SN 83 operating. Of course, the ship will be sterilized first.

The Covid-19 police crew will be evacuated on Monday (26/10/2020) to a prepared quarantine location in Tanjungpinang. They were still isolated on the ship that docked at Tanjung Moco Port, Dompak Village.

A spokesperson for the Riau Islands Covid-19 Task Force, Tjetjep Yudiana said, Pelni Ltd. will immediately replace the crew. 

"The replacement of the crew was following the given positive quarantine period for the crew of the ship for 14 days, the quarantine may even take longer, depending on the crew's recovery," said Tjetjep, Sunday (25/10/2020).

He added that the replacement of the ship's crew was planned in accordance with Pelni's side, besides that the ship's crew would also be imported directly from Jakarta.

This was to ensure that ships can still provide transportation so that the flow of goods and people do not stop.

However, Tjetjep emphasized that the ship will be sterilized first with disinfectants and other standard procedures.

"If it doesn't operate, what will happen to the flow of people and goods? Especially for the people of Kuala Maras / Letung, Tarempa, Midai, Sedanau, Pulau Laut, Ranai, Strait Lampa, Subi, Serasan, Sintete / West Kalimantan, and Tambelan which are the routes of this ship, "he said.

The former head of the Riau Islands Health Office also explained that the passengers who disembark according to the route of this ship will be tracked and traced, because there could be passengers who had been infected from the crew.

His party will involve the respective regional governments, whose citizens had boarded the KM Sabuk Nusantara 83 ship.