“Tourists seem to be more afraid of the bird flu outbreak than terrorist attacks,” stated Y. Sukamdani, President of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, over the weekend. She mentioned that Indonesia’s plan this year is to welcome 6 million tourists, but so far only 2.4 million have arrived.
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Indonesian students wait for tests at the hospital after visiting Jakarta Zoo |
As of last weekend, 21 people in Indonesia have been hospitalized due to suspected bird flu infections, but doctors report that most of their conditions have improved, and at least four may be discharged soon.
Among the suspected cases, several had visited Jakarta Zoo, where tests have shown that most birds, including chickens, are infected with the virus.
Indonesian authorities have ordered the zoo to close for 21 days starting today. Despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) calls for calm, over 100 people who had visited the zoo rushed to hospitals for testing.
The Jakarta Post reports that many international donors have expressed their readiness to assist Indonesia in combating the spread of bird flu.
Meanwhile, Australian customs have banned the import of several tons of poultry to prevent the potential spread of bird flu into the country. Australian Customs Minister C. Ellison stated, “We will block meat from any countries that Australia deems to be at high risk.”
HA NGUYEN (According to JP, AFP)