Be Careful On Transition To Endemic
On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that the pandemic was far from over. The pandemic will continue as long as cases are still found in many countries and there is still a vaccine gap.
Health Ministry vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi.
Even though the number of Covid-19 cases in a number of regions in Indonesia continues to decline, the number of deaths is still high. Vaccination and tracking need to be continuously improved.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Health Ministry believes that Indonesia can gradually prepare for the transition toward the endemic phase. This step must be taken carefully so as not to increase cases and deaths due to Covid-19.
On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that the pandemic was far from over. The pandemic will continue as long as cases are still found in many countries and there is still a vaccine gap.
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"We believe that Indonesia can enter the endemic phase because before the Omicron wave we were also able to reduce cases considerably. We have the tools and efforts for that," said Health Ministry vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi in an online discussion on Friday (11/3/2022).
Nadia hopes that Omicron will be the last variant that is dangerous because the protective effect of the vaccine has already worked. "History shows that pandemics always end even though the disease is still there and can reappear, such as the bubonic plague and cholera," she said.
It is estimated that the disease will still be present, but will no longer disrupt activities.
According to her, endemic does not mean that Covid-19 is completely gone. It is estimated that the disease will still be present, but will no longer disrupt activities.
Nadia said the number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia is currently continuing to decline, especially in Jakarta and West Java. “Hospital care has also dropped. But, be careful for Yogyakarta, it is still at its peak,” she said.
She added that Omicron was contagious, but mortality and severity could be reduced because vaccination protection works well. "When the Delta wave hit Indonesia in July 2021, our vaccinations were just starting. During the Omicron outbreak, vaccination coverage is already very wide," she said.
Even though cases are starting to fall, according to Nadia, the current death rate is still quite high. This is because the time difference between peak cases and deaths due to Omicron can be longer than Delta.
In the Riau Islands, the regional administration is still preparing an integrated quarantine place for Covid-19 patients. This is to anticipate a spike in Covid-19 cases as the central government takes steps to relax travel requirements.
The traffic atmosphere of the Inner City Toll Road around Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, which is busy at work hours, Thursday (30/12/2021).
“Even though the peak of Omicron has passed nationally, active cases in some areas are still high. For example, the peak of Omicron transmission in Tanjung Pinang city is taking place at this time," said the deputy head of the Riau Islands Covid-19 task force, Tjetjep Yudiana, on Friday.
Road map
Nadia said the transition policy from pandemic to endemic would be carried out in stages by preparing a road map. This is intended to ensure that the easing of restrictions does not increase the number of cases and the risk of death.
She mentioned the steps include increasing vaccine coverage, including giving booster vaccines. In addition, there is also an increase in surveillance capacity as well as good health tracking and response.
"There's no need to rush. This also requires a change in the way people live in a new way,” she said.
Nadia said that currently the health protocol for the endemic period was being drawn up. The preparation of the protocol involved a number of groups, including epidemiologists and health practitioners.
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Toward this stage, the government, she continued, would also increase vaccination coverage. It takes an injection rate of up to 750,000 doses per day to meet the target of vaccinating 70 percent of the population in Indonesia before Idul Fitri.
"We have calculated the scenario, in April 2022 during Ramadhan, mudik [exodus] and Idul Fitri, it is hoped that 70 percent of complete vaccinations for the entire population have been achieved," she said.
Not over yet
The postgraduate director at Yarsi University, who is also a professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Indonesia, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, reminded the public not to mistakenly assume that the pandemic has ended.
Tjandra Yoga Aditama
"First, we must understand the meaning of a pandemic. ‘Pan’ means all, or at least many. So, the Covid-19 pandemic means that there are epidemics in various countries in the world," he said.
Because it concerns the situation in many countries, added Tjandra, the one who has the authority to declare the state of pandemic condition is the world body, in this case the WHO.
The pandemic will not end if this epidemic is still found in many countries.
In a press statement, Wednesday (9/3), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the pandemic was far from over, even though Covid-19 cases and deaths are reported to have declined globally and several countries have lifted restrictions. The pandemic will not end if this epidemic is still found in many countries.
Excess mortality
Global excess deaths due to Covid-19 are estimated to reach 18.2 million cases by the end of 2021 or more than three times the official record. The number of deaths due to Covid-19 in Indonesia is estimated at 736,000 cases, the sixth highest in the world.
The calculation of excess deaths due to Covid-19 was published in the journal The Lancet, on Thursday (10/3). This peer-reviewed report describes the actual death toll from the global pandemic in 191 countries and territories from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Excess deaths are calculated from the difference between the number of deaths recorded from all causes and the number estimated based on past trends. (AIK/NDU)
(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo).
