Vigilance urged over avian flu
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya/Yogyakarta
The government declared on Monday that the outbreak of avian influenza in the country was an "extraordinary" situation after it reported a fourth human fatality and two new cases of humans infection.
Minister of Health Fadilah Supari said the status had been imposed to alert both the public and authorities to the risk of the bird flu spreading
Under this status, people who exhibit the symptoms of bird flu can be forcibly hospitalized, while the government will provide free medication.
"We expect people to be more cautious across the country," Siti said, adding that the extraordinary status would last for 21 days in the preliminary stage.
"We hope we will be more aggressive in the face of the outbreak and that financing to curb it will be focused," the minister added.
The government confirmed last week the death of a 37-year-old Jakarta resident from the virus. Previously a resident of Tangerang, Banten, and his two young daughters were also killed by the H5N1 virus.
As of Monday afternoon, four children have been admitted to Sulianti Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta. Two of them have tested positive for the virus. Samples of the blood of the other two have been sent to a Hong Kong laboratory.
Siti said children were more vulnerable to the virus than adults.
"Keep your surroundings clean, keep your birds clean. If you show flu-like symptoms -- your temperature is high and you have breathing difficulties -- go to the hospital immediately and tell the doctors there," Siti advised.
She said the government had assigned 44 state-owned hospitals to treat bird flu patients.
Separately, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would hold a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss strategies including funding to curb the outbreak.
The government has allocated Rp 158 billion (about US$15.8 million) to battle bird flu but Siti said more funds would be needed.
Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyanto said his office needed more money to handle sick birds, but acknowledged that the government lacked the money to carry out a mass cull as suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO requires that poultry within a radius of three kilometers from any bird flu outbreak be killed.
WHO director general Lee Jong-Wook on Monday urged nations to prepare for a bird flu pandemic, saying they should not be caught unawares by an obvious threat, AFP reported.
Jakarta's Ragunan Zoo remains closed following the discovery of infected birds there. During its closure the area will be sterilized.
Meanwhile, the management of Surabaya Zoo in East Java has issued a policy, banning zookeepers from visiting commercial poultry farms. The zoo remained open on Monday.
In Yogyakarta, the management of Gembiraloka Zoo checked their birds for the flu. However, the zoo also remained opened on Monday.