[ad_1]
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Caution is key for Indonesia to deal with changes in the COVID-19 case rate, Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril has said.
“So one word is: collective caution, meaning that the public or the government must be cautious. What we have to (do to) be careful is by doing and preventing transmission, and secondly controlling (the spread of infections),” Syahril said in a broadcast with Dr. Reisa Broto Asmoro, which was accessed from here on Monday.
The changes in the COVID-19 case rate are natural and must be taken or considered as part of the dynamics of the pandemic, he added.
In June 2022, Indonesia recorded the highest number of positive cases again, logging more than two thousand infections, he said. However, in recent days, the number of cases has gone down to more than one thousand.
“So, in four consecutive days, that figure is already below 2,000. The latest (as of today) is 1,434 cases. On the one hand, we still have to be cautious. It did not increase that much, but so was when it declined. Moreover, the number of people being treated at the hospital is still low, “Syahril said.
Related news: Avoid haste in removing masks amid COVID-19 case surge: KSP
Jakarta is one of the provinces that must remain alert for this phenomenon, considering that the number of cases and the bed occupancy rate in the city is among the highest compared to other areas, despite zero deaths, he added.
“Our caution comes in the form of stricter (regulations), because at times, there will be an increase and decrease (in rates), at the same time, there will be new sub-variants,” he pointed out.
Caution must also be practiced in COVID-19 vaccination activities, which still need to be expedited, he said. According to the Health Ministry’s notes, the first dose coverage in Indonesia has reached 96.1 percent, the second or complete dose coverage has touched 81.3 percent, and the booster dose coverage is around 24 percent.
A booster dose can provide protection to everyone as it can teach the immune system to recognize and fight various viruses that strike, he said. It can also sustain the building up of antibodies, which decline five months after the last vaccination, and prevent them from diminishing.
He said that through vaccination and health protocol adherence, such as the ensuring correct use of masks and washing hands in the right, regular way, everyone can protect the people in their immediate environment from disease outbreaks as well as alleviate their symptoms.
“This healthy lifestyle is a necessity, not an obligation. A healthy lifestyle is a necessity not only for COVID-19, but for all the infectious diseases that we currently hear about, such as monkeypox, then hepatitis, and others, “he added.
Related news: BA.4, BA.5 make up 81 percent of Indonesia’s COVID-19 cases: Minister
Related news: Indonesia handles BA.4, BA.5 case surge better than others: Minister
[ad_2]
Source link
