TANJUNG PINANG (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Riau Islands governor Isdianto has tested positive for Covid-19 four days after he was sworn into the office by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Riau Islands Covid-19 task force spokesperson Tjetjep Yudiana said the governor had taken a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test after learning that his personal bodyguard, an army officer identified as DPS, had contracted the virus.

The governor took the test in the Health Ministry’s Batam Environmental Health and Disease Control Centre (BBTKLPP) on Friday (July 31).

“After the bodyguard was declared positive for Covid-19, the governor entered self-quarantine and immediately took the test. His condition is currently stable,” Tjetjep told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He added that the governor was undergoing self-quarantine in the provincial administration office complex in Tanjung Pinang, accompanied by several medical experts.

Isdianto tested negative for the virus in a PCR swab two days prior to his inauguration in Jakarta.

DPS had accompanied Isdianto on his trip to Jakarta but because of strict health protocols, he wasn’t allowed to enter the State Palace for the ceremony.

DPS developed a high fever upon his return from Jakarta on Tuesday and was admitted to a hospital in the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang, where he was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Isdianto, who previously served as deputy governor, assumed the top position after his predecessor, Nurdin Basirun, was convicted of accepting a bribe.

According to the government’s official count, the province had recorded 491 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Saturday, with 18 deaths and 321 recoveries.

Nationwide, health authorities have recorded 109,936 cases and 5,193 deaths.

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