These are the main challenges as we enter the second year of the pandemic: recovering lost learning, narrowing learning gaps, anticipating drop-outs and returning them to school.

New, possibly more contagious and virulent variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been found to have spread in Indonesia. Surveillance must be heightened.

The new SARS-CoV-2 variants from India, South Africa and the UK have entered Indonesia.

The evaluation of the implementation of limited in-class learning trials determines whether the policy will be continued or not. Schools must comply with the evaluation results.

Indonesia needs to promote awareness on the emergency situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This awareness is important to make people cautious and alert that they are at risk of being infected with Covid-19.

A second wave of Covid-19, which is now hitting India, could also occur in Indonesia if there is negligence in the use of health and surveillance protocols, especially testing and tracing.

We must not become negligent. Health protocols should be implemented, no matter how tiring and uncomfortable they are.

Amid the hard work of the government and other institutions in tackling the spread of Covid-19, there are still a number of individuals who are looking for personal gains by endangering the lives of others.

Health protocols and efforts to maintain healthy lifestyle should not be ignored.

Children can carry viruses and they can be shed within a fairly long time. Although the children don’t get sick, the people around them are of course in a dangerous state, particularly those in their advanced years.