President Jokowi: Indonesia Is One Of The Lucky Countries

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia is one of the lucky countries because, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia has quickly reacted to obtain a commitment to supply vaccines.

Because of getting access to vaccines, said President Jokowi, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to start a vaccination program for COVID-19, to be precise in mid-January 2021.

“Indonesia is one of the lucky countries. We are lucky. From the beginning of the pandemic, we have been moving to secure access and commitment to vaccine supply for our country. Our vaccine diplomacy has been running since the beginning of the pandemic”, said the President, who was delivered the speech virtually at the International Conference on Tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic, reported by Antara, Tuesday, February 23.

The implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia is still and will continue. The President hopes that vaccinations to all receiving communities can be completed by the end of 2021.

"This is indeed a formidable challenge, but we will do our best to achieve this target", he said.

President Jokowi said the vaccine provided new hope for the world. Therefore, all countries in the world are racing to get a vaccine. However, countries in the world also need to remember the importance of equal access to vaccines for all countries.

"We have to strengthen our internal cooperation with each country, and also our cooperation with other countries in the world. The spirit of cooperation needs to be emphasized because no one is safe for everyone”, he said.

However, the President also reminded that the presence of vaccines does not mean that the problem will be resolved quickly. The world community needs to remain disciplined in applying 3M's health protocol; wear a mask, keep your distance and wash your hands. He also promised that the government will continue to improve 3T, namely testing, tracing, and treatment to control COVID-19 cases.

"We still have to be disciplined in implementing strict health protocols", said President Jokowi.