No Addition Of COVID-19 Cases In Bangka Belitung, Task Force: Ignorance And Underestimation Will Hinder Our Efforts Together

PANGKALPINANG - The number of COVID-19 cases in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province has not increased. However, residents are asked to remain orderly in carrying out health protocols.

This was conveyed by the Secretary of the Babel Islands COVID-19 Task Force (Satgas), Mikron Antariska, in Pangkalpinang, Sunday, May 22.

"Alhamdulillah, today there are no additional cases of people exposed to the coronavirus," said Mikron Antariksa, as quoted by Antara.

He explained, as many as seven COVID-19 patients were still undergoing isolation. These patients were spread across Belitung (four patients), Bangka, West Bangka, and Pangkalpinang City (one patient each). Meanwhile, Central Bangka, South Bangka and East Belitung have zero active COVID-19 patients.

"Currently five of the seven COVID-19 patients are undergoing self-isolation and the rest are being treated at referral hospitals," he said.

He said, even though the number of COVID-19 cases had decreased, residents should not ignore the pandemic. Meanwhile, residents who have not been vaccinated must immediately visit a facility that provides vaccines as an effort to build immunity from the virus and its mutations.

"Ignorance and trivialization will hinder our joint efforts and are not in line with government policies in liberating this area from COVID-19," he said.

According to him, regarding the easing of wearing masks, this indicates that the implementation of handling COVID-19 in Indonesia is going very well.

"We welcome the government's policy of loosening the wearing of masks outdoors, because it has been more than two years that we have implemented tightening and restrictions in the community," he said.