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New COVID variant not a ‘concern’, govt says
The new Omicron subvariant, known as EG.5 or “Eris” has become the most prevalent strain in other countries, from the United States to China.
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A health worker conducts an antigen test for the COVID-19 for students at a junior high school in Surabaya, on June 9, 2022.
(AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
T
he latest strain of the novel coronavirus should not be a concern to Indonesians, the health minister has said despite the subvariant having driven a spike in cases in some countries.
The new Omicron subvariant, known as EG.5 or “Eris” is suspected to be fast spreading. It has quickly become the most prevalent in the United States with 17 percent of cases caused by the strain. Eris is also presumed to be behind upticks in cases in the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Japan and Canada.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting at the State Palace, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the public did not “need to worry” about the threats posed by the Eris variant. Health authorities had detected Eris in the country but it has not driven a spike in cases, he added.
“This new variant already exists in Indonesia. It was [detected] two months ago,” Budi said, as quoted by kompas.com.
The World Health Organization (WHO) named Eris as a “variant of interest” on Wednesday, but said it did not seem to pose more serious health risks than other variants based on available evidence, Reuters reported. But a more comprehensive risk evaluation on the EG.5 was needed, the WHO added.
Read also: Experts urge prudence in govt plan to end COVID-19 emergency status
