Ensuring public compliance with the health protocols and accelerating the vaccine rollout are at the core of the long-term strategy for the next stage in a new life, in which people will have to live with Covid-19.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·4 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – With Covid-19 expected to linger for the long term, in addition to continuing its efforts in virus control and accelerated vaccination, the government has drawn up a scenario for living with Covid-19, as the pandemic is likely to develop into an endemic in the long run.
The public is expected to adapt in line with the transition.
“There are rules so that we can control [ourselves] and later, help us adapt to the endemic. Our hope is that even though Covid-19 [persists], we can still stay healthy and productive. We will prepare everything so [our hopes] can be achieved,” Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin said in Jakarta on Tuesday (7/9/2021), during an inspection visit to a vaccination program at the University of Indonesia Dental and Oral Hospital.
There are rules so that we can control [ourselves] and later, help us adapt to the endemic.
The Vice President also stressed the importance of using digital technology through the newly launched PeduliLindungi (care and protect) Covid-19 contact tracing app. The app that has been used in many places, such as malls, aims to enforce public adherence to the health protocols.
Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that using the PeduliLindungi app would enhance control over community mobility and ensure that essential sectors can continue to operate safely while keeping Covid-19 cases in check.
Mapping
The Health Ministry’s acting director for disease prevention and control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said that, as part of its endemicity-related measures, the government had begun to map out potential obstacles to the necessary adaptation for the new lifestyle in implementing the health protocols, testing and tracing, and vaccination.
He said that the “living with Covid-19” strategy had been prepared in line with the assessment of the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the local prevalence of the virus and community capacity in responding to the Covid-19 handling measures.
Maxi reiterated the importance of people adopting the health protocols as part of their new lifestyle.
Regarding Covid-19 testing and tracing, he urged the public to take greater initiative in getting tested when they experienced symptoms similar to Covid-19, being collaborative in tracing and testing, as well as in self-isolating if they tested positive for Covid-19.
While hailing the government’s long-term strategy as appropriate, the Indonesia Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI) chairman Ede Surya Darmawan said that the policy needed to be supported by improved public awareness of the new lifestyle habits and a reinforced health care system.
"These two factors will determine the progress in supervising the health protocols, the 3T [testing, tracing, treatment] and vaccination," he said.
Ede also suggested that contingency plans were crucial in anticipating a possible surge in cases, given the fact that it was possible that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, could still mutate into new variants with unpredictable transmission rates.
He said it would therefore be important to step up researches on the virus and spur development on the Merah Putih vaccine to ensure vaccine availability for the public.
Vaccination
During his visit to Ponorogo, East Java, President Joko Widodo said the government aimed to vaccinate 70 percent of its total target of 208,265,720 recipients nationwide by the end of 2021.
Based on the data at the Health Ministry as at 6 p.m. on 7 Sept., the first phase of the vaccine rollout had reached 33.04 percent (68.8 million doses) and the second phase was nearing 18.94 percent (39.4 million doses).
Support for speeding up vaccination was shown on Tuesday by the Covid-19 Vaccination Center at the Petrokimia Gresik Auditorium. The program aimed to inoculate 1,000 recipients comprising pregnant women, persons with disabilities, students and local residents.
The program was co-organized by the Gresik regency administration, the East Java provincial administration, PT Kalbe Farma, Kompas Gramedia Group, PT Petrokimia Gresik, and the Airlangga University Alumni Association.
Kalbe Farma and the Kompas Humanitarian Fund Foundation (DKK) handed over basic needs assistance to 300 local residents who had been affected by Covid-19.
Beware of Mu variant
The President called for heightened vigilance over the coronavirus’s Mu variant that was reportedly spreading in a number of countries.
The new variant was discussed in a meeting on Monday (6/9), held specifically to evaluate the implementation of the public activity restrictions (PPKM).
"This really urges us to be more vigilant and detailed. Don\'t let this [variant] ruin the progress we have made," the President said.
Preventive efforts include strict scrutiny at international airports and seaports. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has instructed his staff to consolidate internally and coordinate with the Foreign Ministry, port health authorities, the Covid-19 task force, immigration offices, and other relevant parties. (TAN/CAS/WKM/BRO/ETA/WER/NDU/JAL/NCA/JUM)