Ahead Of Christmas And New Year, The Omicron Variant Emerges In The Country, What Should The Government Do?

JAKARTA - The government confirmed the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country. This assurance was conveyed by the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin on Thursday, December 16.

In his statement, Budi said a janitor with the initials N at Wisma Atlet Jakarta tested positive for the Omicron variant. These results were carried out after performing whole genome sequencing.

N, said Budi, had been exposed to COVID-19 along with two other people since December 8. Furthermore, their test results were sent to the Ministry of Health's Balitbangkes for Genome Sequencing and from there it was finally detected that the janitor was exposed to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"On the 10th, he was sent to the Health Research and Development Agency (Balitbangkes) for Whole Genome Sequencing and on the 15th the results came out from these three people. One of them is Omicron while the other two are not and this one we have double checked, it is confirmed Omicron," said Budi in an online press conference, Thursday, December 16.

Furthermore, Budi also revealed that there are still five probable cases of the Omicron variant. Two cases are Indonesian citizens who recently returned from the United States and Britain.

While the other three cases were foreigners from China who came to Manado. "Once again, these five people are still (not sure Omicron, ed) and have just been specifically tested for PCR and have been sent to Balitbangkes," he said.

The emergence of the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was then responded to by an epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman. He said the public need not panic but remain vigilant by implementing strict health protocols and immediately getting vaccinated.

In addition, the public is asked not to travel outside the city or abroad in the midst of this condition. This was conveyed by Dicky because the emergence of the Omicron variant is close to the moment of Christmas Day and the turn of the year which is usually used by people for holidays.

"If you haven't had time to buy a ticket, you don't have to (go, ed) now. Just vacation in the city," said Dicky when contacted by VOI.

Meanwhile, for people who have already bought tickets to travel after seeing that the conditions for the spread of the virus are conducive, Dicky said, they should make sure they are in good health and do not become virus carriers.

"If you have already (buy tickets, ed) make sure you are healthy and don't carry the virus by doing a rapid antigen test, making sure you are asymptomatic and do not have direct contact (with COVID-19 positive people, ed)," he said.

The government is asked to carry out mitigation before Christmas and the new year

Regarding the emergence of this Omicron variant, said Dicky, the government must also begin to mitigate human movement before Christmas and New Year's in order to prevent massive transmission. According to him, related parties must be aware of the movement of people who are active or mobile but do not have protection.

"In the sense that the vaccine is more than seven months old, the vaccine is not yet complete, or the health condition is declining due to comorbidities or the elderly. Now, this is dangerous," he said.

"In addition, if in the area it turns out that 3T and health protocols are neglected. Now, this is dangerous. So we have to be careful," added Dicky.

Then what about the Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) policy?

When asked about the restriction policy in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, Dicky said that the government actually does not need to make any changes even though the Omicron variant has entered the country. However, supervision regarding the prohibition of crowding and crowds must be carried out strictly.

"And make sure people who are active, mobile have been fully vaccinated, protected after being vaccinated, have no symptoms, have not been in contact with active cases. In addition, if they travel a rapid antigen test (mandatory, red) and must be negative. That must be done," he concluded.