Indonesia tightens HMPV surveillance at Jakarta airports

Naning Nugrahini, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Health Quarantine Office, said on Tuesday that health workers at the airport have increased surveillance efforts to prevent the spread of HMPV.

One of the measures taken is the use of thermal scanners at the international arrival gates of Soekarno-Hatta (Soetta) and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, and passengers arriving from abroad are required to fill out an app called the Satu Sehat Health Pass (SSHP).

People walk on a pedestrian crossing at the main business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by AP

Through SSHP data, the passenger’s risk status will be marked with a specific color: red for passengers showing symptoms, orange for those in close contact with infected individuals, yellow for passengers from affected countries, and green for passengers not showing any risk indications. If there are passengers with symptoms or indications of risk, health officers will conduct further examinations at the health posts or laboratories available at Soetta Airport.

She said so far, no cases of HMPV have been reported at Soetta or Halim Perdanakusuma airports.

Previously, the Ministry reported that HMPV has been found in Indonesia. All cases involved children. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urged the public not to panic, as HMPV is not a new virus and has been recognized in the medical community.

The minister explained that HMPV is different from the Covid-19 virus. He said that Covid-19 is a new virus, while HMPV is an older virus that behaves similarly to the flu. The human immune system has been familiar with this virus for a long time and can respond effectively.