Jokowi Asks For COVID-19 Vaccination To Be Boosted So That Herd Immunity Is Reached For One Year

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo has requested that the COVID-19 vaccination process be accelerated. Vaccination for COVID-19 is carried out on a priority scale for regions.

This was conveyed by the Chairman of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) Airlangga Hartarto. Airlangga said Jokowi's instructions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination would be followed up by the Ministry of Health.

"The President encourages that vaccination can be increased, both in terms of volume and in terms of time, so that herd immunity can be fast, can be implemented. and vaccination certainly takes into account data-based and area-based, dense zones, high density areas, high mobility, and also high interactions, it becomes a consideration. also related to the activities of economic centers, "said Airlangga in a statement broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat Youtube, Wednesday, February 3.

In handling COVID-19, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin continued Airlangga will issue a regulation aka Permenkes. One thing that is regulated is the rapid antigen test to detect whether someone is exposed to COVID-19.

"So, rapid antigen can be used for screening, because we know that rapid antigen is lower in cost than PCR. Therefore, it can be used as an initial screening. and then the president again reminded us that the key to the COVID pandemic is in the upstream, namely 3 billion people wearing a mask to wash their hands to keep their distance, "continued Airlangga.

In addition, in a limited meeting with KPCPEN, President Jokowi ordered disciplinary enforcement of public health protocols on a micro scale, namely by activating the COVID-19 Task Force to the neighborhood level (RT).

"The President's direction for handling COVID-19 to be carried out more effectively is a micro-based approach or at the local level, starting from the village, village, RT and RW levels. Involves from the center to the smallest task force," said Airlangga.

Airlangga said the activities that would be carried out by the micro COVID-19 Task Force were in the form of improvements to community discipline and law enforcement. Therefore, various security officers will be involved in this discipline.