Indonesia detects first omicron case in hospital worker

By EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has detected its first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta. The patient has no symptoms and is being quarantined at the Athlete’s Village emergency hospital, where the patient worked. The government created the facility in March 2020 to treat COVID-19 patients and as a quarantine venue for Indonesians returning from abroad. Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the case was found on Wednesday, and he urged people to continue to follow recommended health protocols, including wearing masks and maintaining physical distance. He also called for increased testing and to accelerate the country’s vaccination program.