Coordinating Minister Airlangga Appreciates The Enthusiasm Of Ambon City Residents To Come To Vaccination Sites

JAKARTA - The government continues to be committed to intensifying the implementation of vaccinations for the community to achieve the target of herd immunity by the end of this year. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, as Chair of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Handling Committee (KPC-PEN) again reviewed the vaccination center in eastern Indonesia, precisely in Ambon City, Monday 4 October.

Coordinating Minister Airlangga appreciated the enthusiasm of Ambon City residents who came to vaccinate at the Merdeka Square Tribune. The vaccination center at the Merdeka Square Tribune will be held from September 22 to October 14, 2021. The target for vaccination in the 3 week period is 20 thousand people, while the implementation on October 4, 2021 is targeted for 2 thousand people.

The vaccination was carried out by vaccinators who were divided into 7 and came from the Puskesmas at the Ambon City Health Service and a team from the TNI. Meanwhile, the types of vaccines used are Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Moderna.

As of October 3, 2021, the vaccination at Merdeka Square has reached 1,097 people. Meanwhile, the overall achievement of Dose 1 in Ambon City was 197,895 people (72.22 percent), Dose 2 was 107,902 people (39.4 percent), from the target of 274,194 people,

Vaccine stock in Maluku Province is also relatively sufficient, while Ambon City is still sufficient for the next 19 days. There are only two districts that have an estimated stock of less than 14 days, namely Kep. Aru and Kep. Tanimbar.

"It is hoped that this activity can make it easier for the public to vaccinate and increase vaccination achievements significantly. Don't forget, always carry out the 3M health protocol, namely washing hands, wearing masks and maintaining distance," said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Maluku Province experienced a decrease in active cases by 94.67 percent in the period August 9 to October 3, 2021. The peak of daily additional cases in Maluku Province occurred in July, precisely on July 6, 2021, recording 349 cases.

Currently, the trend of daily COVID-19 cases in Maluku Province has decreased, although it is still volatile. The average daily case in the last week of September 2021 was only single digits, namely 4 cases per day. The highest daily addition of cases occurred on September 23 with 37 cases. This has encouraged Maluku Province to successfully enter Assessment Level 2. Meanwhile, Ambon City is also at Assessment Level 2.

"We congratulate and thank the Governor and his staff for successfully entering Level 2. As previously reported, I believe that the handling of COVID-19 in Maluku and Ambon is good. However, we must not be complacent, we must remain vigilant," said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister Airlangga also met face-to-face and encouraged the health workers in Ambon City, who have been fighting their best to deal with COVID-19 and carry out the vaccination process for the entire community.

"If there is a COVID-19 hospital, where the number of patients is relatively zero (non-existent), but it cannot be closed because no country has yet raised the pandemic status. We must remain ready, not to be unprepared if there is another increase in cases. Then, I hope that the booster injection for health workers can be accelerated so that no health workers are exposed," he explained.

Representatives of health workers who attended came from 22 Puskesmas, 8 COVID-19 Referral Hospitals and Health Facilities implementing vaccinations, then representatives from Field Hospitals, KKP, BTKL, BPOM, a total of 105 people, as well as representatives from the vaccinator team a total of 49 people. Coordinating Minister Airlangga on the occasion also symbolically handed over assistance in the form of basic necessities and educational funds for the children of health workers.