In Anticipation of the Omicron Variant, the Government Monitors the Increase in Covid-19 Cases in 21 Cities and Regencies throughout Indonesia

Kapanlagi.com - The increase in Covid-19 cases in the region continues to be monitored, the government is even ready to handle it from upstream to downstream. This preparedness is included in one of the strategies to anticipate the threat of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, and the increase in mobility ahead of Christmas and New Year (Nataru) to avoid a new wave of Covid-19 cases.

The Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate, urged the public to remain vigilant against the increase in Covid-19 cases. In addition, he emphasized that the government is currently committed to pursuing vaccination targets to be achieved by the end of the year.

"Although the transmission trend is at level one or continues to improve, the increase in Covid-19 cases is still detected in several Districts/Cities. This means that the virus is still around us," said Minister of Communication and Information Johnny, Friday (3/12/2021).

Several Regions Experiencing an Increase in Cases

As for several regions that have experienced an increase in cases, including Teluk Wondama in West Papua, Pekanbaru, Bengkalis, Bontang, Yogyakarta, Gunungkidul, Dumai, Bantul, Nagekeo in NTT, Cimahi, Kupang, Surakarta, Denpasar, Sumba Tengah, Jembrana, Manggarai, Sleman, Mojokerto, Majalengka, Karanganyar, and Trenggalek.

Of the 21 Districts/Cities, there are at least three areas that have experienced an increase due to community clusters, namely:

• Dumai City in Riau due to pesantren cluster.
• Kupang City, NTT due to face-to-face learning (PTM) and suspect tests.
• Surakarta City in Central Java due to PTM.

"We know that new clusters emerge from transmission in offices, markets, schools, and prisons. Therefore, the government continues to monitor the development of daily cases, track close contacts, and conduct tests for prevention to avoid an increase in the level of the pandemic situation in Indonesia," added Johnny.

The Government Will Continuously Monitor the Situation

Minister of Communication and Information stated that the government will continue to monitor the situation and implement various policies that are appropriate to the level of the situation in the region. The implementation of these policies includes efforts to encourage regional governments to ensure that the public continues to adhere to health protocols and restrict mobility during Nataru.

In addition, preparedness is also carried out in the downstream side of the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. One of them is by ensuring the availability of sufficient isolation and intensive care facilities, including the availability of medications, ventilators, and oxygen cylinders.

"Learning from the previous situation when there was a surge in cases, we encourage the readiness of healthcare facilities, as well as the availability of drugs and medical equipment for the public," added the Minister of Communication and Information.

The Public is Urged to Get Vaccinated Immediately

The government also urges the public to immediately get vaccinated in order to reduce the risk of severe illness if infected with the Covid-19 virus. As of December 3, 2021, more than 141 million Indonesian citizens have received their first dose of vaccination (67.9% of the vaccination target) and more than 98 million of them have received the complete dose (47% of the vaccination target).

"Looking at these achievements, there is certainly a need for further acceleration so that more Indonesian people are protected by the vaccine. This is our shared target. Therefore, we remind the public once again not to be selective in choosing vaccines, all vaccines are safe and effective," concluded Johnny.

(kly/tmi)