COVID-19 In 5 Countries Rises Despite High Booster Coverage, Task Force: We Must Learn To Maintain Prokes

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, emphasized that optimal protection from COVID-19 transmission remains with the 3M health protocol.

Because even though the achievement of vaccination, both complete dose and third dose or booster vaccination is already high, the potential for increasing cases in a country still exists.

"The high achievement of booster vaccines, if it is not accompanied by a disciplined defense of health protocols, the potential for increasing cases will still exist," said Wiku in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, March 23.

Currently, the achievement of booster vaccination in Indonesia is 6.06 percent. This figure is indeed lower than the world average achievement of booster vaccination of 18.55 percent.

However, said Wiku, a number of countries with vaccination achievements that exceed the world average are actually experiencing an increase in cases.

The five countries that are experiencing an increase in cases are Italy with a booster vaccination achievement of 63.6 percent, Germany with 57.64 percent, the UK with 56.59 percent, Vietnam with 44.88 percent, and Thailand with a booster achievement of 31.54 percent.

Wiku revealed, 5 out of 15 countries with booster coverage above the world figure experienced an increase in cases due to lax implementation of health protocols. The country is also making various policy adjustments such as quarantine.

"Reflecting on this, of course, we must learn to maintain discipline in health protocols, while still trying to increase the coverage of booster vaccinations," he said.

"Increased supervision of the implementation of health programs in public places is also important to continue to be improved," added Wiku.