Prof WIku: Variant R.1 COVID-19 Still Under WHO Monitoring

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force (Satgas) Prof Wiku Adisasmito said the new variant of R.1 is still under monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"Currently, the R.1 variant is still classified as an under monitoring variant by WHO, so it needs to be followed up with further monitoring as a precautionary principle," he said, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, September 28.

Wiku reminded that the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19 shows that COVID-19 has not completely disappeared from this world.

"For this reason, the wisest attitude we take is to consistently carry out health protocols in all aspects of life without having to be too afraid," said Wiku.

According to him, the R.1 variant was first identified by WHO in January 2021 in Japan.

"And it is known to have spread in several regions in the United States at this time," said Wiku.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment as well as the Coordinator of the Java-Bali PPKM Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan ensured that arrivals from abroad were tightened to prevent the spread of Covid-19, especially from countries that had a high transmission tendency.

"We also tighten the arrival of foreigners for people from areas that we consider to have a high tendency or level 4, we call it," he said.

He said a number of countries that were considered to have a high transmission potential were the United States and Turkey.

Luhut also ensured that the eight-day quarantine process for those who had just arrived from abroad would still be carried out. According to him, it was done on the advice of epidemiologists.