The Indonesian government has taken measures in anticipating the spread of swine flu in Manado, North Sulawesi, during the World Ocean Conference (WOC), ANTARA reported. During his visit here on Saturday, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said the anticipatory steps were taken at the Sam Ratulangi international airport here in connection with the WOC conference from May 11-15, 2009. Aburizal said the central government has prepared a thermo scanner at the airport for WOC participants arriving from around 121 countries. According to him, the thermo scanner detects the body temperature of people after arriving from abroad to find out whether or not they had the swine flu virus H1N1. The H1N1 which first attacked Mexico has killed hundreds of people and raised worldwide fear. Aburizal and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Number arrived here on Friday to make an inspection of the venue of the WOC and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) summit. The two ministers inspected Sam Ratulangi airport, Manado Convention Hall, Grand Kawanua City Hotel, and some other buildings in the city. North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang said recently that the central government had fulfilled its commitment to the WOC and CTI summit. "The central government has met all its commitments to securing importing buildings, roads, bridges, electricity, clean water, land and sea transport while flight frequency to the area has increased," Sarundajang said after reporting the preparations of the summit to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Wednesday (April 22). On the occasion, the governor said all the infrastructure facilities could be used to raise economic growth, especially in the eastern and northern parts of Indonesia. According to Sarundajang, the total number of participants to the WOC and CTI summit may reach 2,900.
