Category: COVID-19

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COVID-19 News Task Forces

Moeldoko: Not Time To Take Your Mask Off, Yet

Chief of Staff to the President Moeldoko.

Jakarta – As of Monday, June 27, Jakarta’s positivity rate reached 13.7 percent. The Chief of Staff to the President Moeldoko underlined the data as a reinforcement to keep the mask on, proving that we have not yet passed the pandemic situation.

“The COVID-19 positivity rate is still above 5 percent. It showcases strong evidence that the pandemic is not over,” said Moeldoko, at the Bina Graha building, Jakarta, Tuesday (28/6).

The positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested. The World Health Organization (WHO) sets a figure below 5 percent as a benchmark for controlling cases in the community. The figure covers any results obtained from both rapid antigen and PCR.

Although Jakarta’s positivity rate has exceeded the WHO standard, Moeldoko said, such people’s mobility and activity restrictions were unnecessary. He was confident that the hospital bed occupancy was well maintained.

Even so, he asked the public to continuously adhere to health protocols and get vaccinated, so that there would be no increase in cases and the positivity rate of COVID19.

“If people are still ignorant towards health protocols and uninoculated with booster vaccines, the positive cases will continue to soar. Don’t be in a rush to take your mask off,” Moeldoko ordered.

As of Monday, data from the Ministry of Health shows Indonesia’s positivity rate at 2.7 percent. There were an additional 1,445 positive cases nationwide and among 838 additional cases were coming from Jakarta.

Moeldoko said the new variant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 was to blame for the surge of the positivity rate in the capital city of Indonesia.

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COVID-19 Deputy II News

Govt To Ensure Hospital Beds Availability Amid Concerns Over COVID-19 New Variants

The Senior Advisor to the Presidential Chief of Staff, Abraham Wirotomo.

Jakarta – Indonesian government is closely supervising its hospital bed capacity, drugs and oxygen supplies, preparing the 273,5 million populated nation for the new COVID-19 variants.

Abraham Wirotomo, Senior Advisor to the Presidential Chief of Staff, emphasized that the government has sent a clear message to the public, saying that omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub variants should not be taken lightly.

“We must not be careless, we don’t want to be stumbled near the finish line,” said Abraham, in Jakarta, Monday (13/6).

Indonesia has been witnessing another surge on COVID-19 cases since the Eid Al Fitr holiday season last May. The Health Ministry reported that as of June 9, 2022, there were an additional 556 cases, adding to more than a total of 6 million infections in the country so far. Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are deemed to be the cause of the surge.

However, the surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is still well monitored and under control. The positivity rate and case transmission rates are reportedly low. Nevertheless, the public must still adhere to health protocols and get themselves completely vaccinated.

“The increase of cases should be seen as a warning. In order to keep Indonesia on track towards an endemic, we shall not ignore the importance of health protocols and booster vaccines,” he said.

Abraham also constantly invites all elements of society to continue to support health protocols and vaccines. So that the pandemic can end this year.

The new sub variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 have been detected in Indonesia, firstly reported on June 6. These sub variants are known to have low morbidity rates in confirmed positive patients.

The BA.4 and BA.5 firstly emerged at the close of 2021 in South Africa. They are the latest variants of Covid-19 that, like all viruses, continue to adapt to an increasingly immune population.  

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COVID-19 Deputies Deputy II News Task Forces

Shifting From Pandemic to Endemic, KSP: Govt Will Not Hastily Declare Transitions

Senior Advisor of the Executive Office of the President (KSP) Abraham Wirotomo.

Jakarta – Despite improvement in COVID-19 situations, the Indonesian government will not rush to decide the shifting of status, from the pandemic to the endemic. Prior to making a decision, the government will always refer to data science and careful calculations, the Senior Advisor of the Executive Office of the President (KSP) Abraham Wirotomo ensured.

“There’s no need to be in a hurry to declare the shift from the pandemic to the endemic. We should pay attention to the precautionary aspect, instead,” said Abraham, at the Bina Graha building, Jakarta, Wednesday (2/3).

“It’s obvious that the president doesn’t want us to return to the crisis situation during the earlier period of the pandemic,” he said.

Abraham said the government always closely monitors the development of COVID-19 in Indonesia and in other countries. In addition, some experts also took part in every policy decision making, especially regarding the situation of the pandemic.

“Improving conditions proved by the scientific data and expert analysis will determine the implementation of the relaxation policy,” he said.

Data from the Health Ministry states that the number of COVID-19 cases continue to decline. 

As of Tuesday (1/3), the national Bed Occupancy Rate for COVID-19 patients fell to 34 percent from the previous day, which was at 35 percent. Likewise, the daily COVID-19 cases also dropped to 24,728 cases.

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COVID-19 News

Indonesia Prepares More Than 11,000 Hospitals and 82,000 Beds Over Fears Of Omicron Surge

Senior Advisor of the Executive Office of the President (KSP) Abraham Wirotomo.

Jakarta –  As the highly contagious Omicron variant might spur a rise of virus cases, the Indonesian government has prepared hospitals and care facilities for a possible mass influx of COVID-19 patients. 

According to the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia (KSP), the government has at least prepared 1,011 hospitals and 82,168 beds for COVID-19 patients.

“Given the fact that there might be more foreign travelers entering Indonesia in the upcoming months, the health services must be prepared for a possible COVID-19 surge,” said KSP’s Senior Advisor Abraham Wirotomo, during an official visit to the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (RSPI), Jakarta, Sunday (2/1).

In his visit, Abraham also closely monitored 24 patients with the Omicron variant who are currently being treated at the hospital. None of the patients were in need of intensive care as they showed continuous improvement, he reported.

“The [RSPI] Hospital is also expected to convert more hospital beds into intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients [for a possible surge],” he added.

Abraham also ensured the public that the government had prepared sufficient numbers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), drugs and diagnostics, and other medical needs for the next three months.

According to him, a number of COVID-19 referral hospitals have started to tighten some visitation restrictions and limiting hospitalization of non COVID-19 patients to prevent a possible sudden rise of COVID-19 cases.

Pulmonologist at RSPI, Rosa Marlina, said that most of the Omicron patients treated at the hospital were generally young and had no comorbidities. Many of them were detected before departing for long trips, but none showed any symptoms. 

“I hope the government will not rush to ease the mobility restrictions. The current cases tend to be less severe because the majority of people infected by this variant are young and healthy.  The situation can worsen when the transmission has spread to the elderly and people with comorbid diseases,” said Rosa Marliana.