Vigilance Still Needed

The surge in confirmed cases of Covid-19 is proof that the virus is still mutating and circulating in the country. Even though the pandemic has become an endemic, we still need to be vigilant.

KOMPAS/HELENA FRANSISCA NABABAN

Commuter train passengers from Bekasi get off to change platforms at Manggarai Station, Monday (30/5/2022). The use of masks in public transportation is important to prevent the transmission of Covid-19..

According to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a visit to the Kompas Editorial office on Friday (4/11/2022), three new Omicron subvariants have been identified in Indonesia: the BA.2.75 subvariant commonly found in India, the XBB and XBB.1 subvariants circulating in Singapore, and the BQ.1 subvariant detected in a number of European countries and the United States.

On Saturday (5/11), the Covid-19 Task Force recorded 4,717 new confirmed cases, with the greatest number in Jakarta, followed by East Java, West Java, Banten, and Central Java.

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Even though the three new subvariants do not lead to disease as severe as the Delta variant, several lives could not be saved, with at least 39 people dying on the same day. Those who died were generally more vulnerable due to their age or because they had comorbid diseases, were unvaccinated, or were not fully vaccinated.

We recall that after the pandemic started, the term “new normal” often appeared. This word means putting something new into continuous practice so it becomes a new standard. The word is often associated with new norms, a new order, a new life, and other related terms.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

A women access the "Peduli Lindungi" application when entering the Car Free Day area on Jalan Kertajaya, Surabaya City, East Java, Sunday (20/3/2022).

Whatever its equivalent, the point is that people must adapt to change in order to survive the pandemic: from getting used to washing hands, maintaining distance, wearing masks, and to getting fully vaccinated. This is part of the new order and must not be abandoned, even though the pandemic has moved towards an endemic.

In reality, public discipline has started to slacken. Even though it is OK to go outside the home without a mask, many people forget to put on their masks once they have returned indoors. On the other hand, the government needs to encourage people to engage in more activities and wider mobility to restore the economy.

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In this situation, it seems that the government needs to reimpose a stick-and-carrot program, or incentives and sanctions, to revive compliance with the health protocols. People using public transportation and visiting public spaces, for example, are required to wear masks and have downloaded the Peduli Lindungi (official Covid-19 tracking) application, and especially have complete vaccination.

Indeed, filling out complicated travel documents such as the e-HAC is no longer necessary, nor is getting PCR tests that are still relatively expensive, but public officials need to be more firm in reprimanding people who do not comply with the health protocols. They should at least ask for proof of Covid-19 vaccination as set out in the travel and public space regulations.

In retightening the health rules, many other things must of course go hand in hand, from vaccine availability to easy vaccine access, as well as the readiness of health workers and facilities. We are in the middle of an endemic. But we also need to be aware of the endemic and face it with a new normal.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.