British woman, 53, dies from coronavirus in Bali: Diabetic becomes first to die from the disease in Indonesia
- Indonesia said the woman had died in hospital after arriving in critical condition
- She had diabetes and lung disease and had contracted coronavirus elsewhere
- A UK Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that the woman was a UK national
A British woman has died of coronavirus in Indonesia after picking up the virus elsewhere, becoming the country’s first death in the epidemic.
Indonesia’s government said the 53-year-old woman with diabetes and lung disease had died in hospital after being admitted in a critical condition.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that the woman was a British national and offered sympathies to her family.
Her husband was also in Indonesia and is due to be repatriated soon, officials in the country have said.
A British woman has died of coronavirus in Indonesia after picking up the virus elsewhere, becoming the country’s first death in the epidemic. A different patient is pictured being wheeled into Suradadi Hospital in Central Java today
Achmad Yurianto, a government spokesman on efforts to contain the virus, said the 53-year-old woman had contracted the virus abroad.
The woman had already been in critical condition when she was admitted to a hospital, the health ministry official said.
The spokesman did not say where the woman was or in what hospital or city she had died.
He said her home country’s embassy was aware of her death and would arrange to have her body repatriated.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Indonesia and are in contact with local authorities.
‘Our sympathies and thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.’
The woman’s death follows that of a British national who had travelled on the ill-fated Diamond Princess cruise ship before it was quarantined in Japan.
Medical staff attend a suspected coronavirus patient at Suradadi Hospital in Indonesia today, a separate case to the British woman who died from the disease
The unnamed Briton died in hospital in Japan last month after being taken off the ship following a positive test for coronavirus.
Three other Britons also tested positive on board the ship. Two of them are still in hospital in Japan while one has returned to the UK.
There have been 382 confirmed cases on UK territory, including six deaths.
Indonesia has 26 other confirmed coronavirus patients, of whom two are known to have recovered.
One of the Indonesian patients is a 36-year-old man who had been a crew member on the Diamond Princess, officials say.
The man was described as being in a stable condition with no fever or cough when he was diagnosed.
Officials in Indonesia say they are having difficulties in tracing other people who might have come into contact with the confirmed patients.
Nearby Singapore has started charging visitors for coronavirus treatment after it reported new imported cases from neighbouring Indonesia.
The Pope had reportedly been drawing up plans to visit Indonesia later this year, but the Vatican has now cancelled the trip over virus fears.