Anticipating A Surge In COVID-19 Cases Like India, Coordinating Minister For Luhut Collaborates With Kyai To Remind People To Be Resistant To Mobility

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has paid a visit to Kediri, East Java to meet the Kyai. During the meeting, one of the things discussed by Luhut was about anticipating a surge in active cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Luhut Pandjaitan asked the Kyai who had a very big influence to urge the public during the holy month of Ramadan until the Eid Al-Fitr to not move. The goal is not to cause crowds that can increase active cases of COVID-19 in the country.

"I entrust the clerics to appeal through fatwas in the context of being careful not to travel in groups and to adhere to established health protocols. Because we don't want events in India to happen to us", he said, quoted from the official Instagram account @luhut.pandjaitan, Tuesday, April 27.

This step was taken by Luhut because he reflected on the case experienced by India. Where the country continues to be hit by a large wave of viral infections and deaths from COVID-19. In fact, its citizens are desperate because of the scarcity of oxygen supplies, while the flames from the burning of corpses continue to burn.

Meanwhile, the most recent number of COVID-19 cases reported by India was 349,691 over the past day, bringing the total number of cases in the country to over 16.9 million. This high number makes India the second-largest country hit by the pandemic after America.

Luhut said he had promised to come to meet the Kyai for a long time. However, this was the first time it could be done. The visit to Kediri also coincided to review the progress of the construction of Dhoho Airport.

"I convey the warm greetings and gratitude from the President to the elderly clerics for their assistance so that people can be disciplined in obeying health protocols", he said.

Furthermore, Luhut explained that his relationship with the Kyai had been around for a very long time, he had many deep memories. One of them is with the elderly Kyai as well as the nation's teacher, the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia KH Abdurrahman Wahid.

"From Gus Dur I realized one thing that without @nahdlatululama, Indonesia would never exist and I still feel that the glue of the unity of the Republic of Indonesia is one of them is NU", he said.

Indonesia already has 6 types of vaccines

On that occasion, Luhut also provided several developments related to the condition of the nation and country, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them is about the national vaccination program.

"The first is a matter of current vaccine developments in which Indonesia already has six types of vaccines that are distributed to the public", he said.

Luhut also explained that even though the vaccination has been running, all parties still have to be careful, especially for elderly Kyai who are already in their old age.

"Don't let the elderly clerics not get vaccinated", he said.

Previously, Luhut said that the government had carried out a COVID-19 vaccination program of 500,000 per day.

"Today, I just reported, vaccinations have reached 500,000 every day. That sets our target. So we are sure that in May we can reach maybe 750,000 or maybe 1 million a day", he said in the Bali Investment Forum virtually some time ago.