TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsPublic urged to follow health protocols as soaring COVID-19 cases seen in 20 regions
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Living example: A man with no mask walks past a mural depicting COVID-19 health protocols in Tebet, South Jakarta. (Kompas.com/Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
C
ommunications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate has called on the public to stay alert for additional COVID-19 cases and urged people to stay disciplined in following health protocols to prevent another COVID-19 wave.
“Any report on increasing COVID-19 cases, no matter how small the number, is an obvious sign that we are still living with the virus. Therefore, do not let down your guard because any window, even the smallest one, could lead to transmission and soaring cases,” Johnny said.
The easing of restrictions and current “calming situation”, he went on, was not an excuse to loosen health protocol discipline. To date, the number of national active cases has reached its lowest point after consistently decreasing for 15 weeks, with 12,400 active cases recorded as of Thursday.
“We need to maintain this.”
Johnny further revealed that according to a Health Ministry report, there has been an increasing trend of positive COVID-19 cases in 20 regencies/cities in the last seven weeks. The increasing cases were recorded in, among other areas, Nagan Raya in Aceh, Meranti Islands in Riau, East Jakarta, Depok and Bekasi in West Java, and Surakarta in Central Java.
“We must pay attention to the increasing number of cases as the Christmas and New Year Holiday season is around the corner,” Johnny said.
Learning from last year’s experience, he said, people’s mobility tended to increase around holidays, and this would lead to more confirmed cases. Johnny highlighted that the increase in people’s mobility must be met with the tightening of individual health protocols to suppress the risk of infection. All regional heads were also expected to be more proactive in monitoring every aspect of the pandemic-handling procedure to anticipate an increase in cases, including the region’s positive rate and bed occupancy rate (BOR).
Furthermore, all regions must strengthen their vaccination scope; accelerate the 3Ts of testing, tracing and treatment; and the use of the PeduliLindungi app in public places like shopping malls, cafes, markets and tourist spots.
“Health protocols, vaccination, the 3T movement and information technology remain the best ways we can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. The government will also continuously evaluate PPKM [public activity restriction] levels as the main COVID-19 controlling instrument across the country. Of course, we need the public’s active contribution to support the policies,” Johnny said.
