Omicron Variant Becomes A Threat, MPR Leader Reminds Government To Tighten Quarantine Management

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The People's Consultative Assembly leadership asked the government to be firm in anticipating efforts to prevent the entry of the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 or Omicron into Indonesia. the health protocol, both awareness of vaccines and masks or vaccine minded and mask minded is lax. In the end, all countries were affected.

"So in my opinion, the government must be firm before entering Indonesia. Don't be like the Delta variant, we have entered first and then we are busy", said Arsul at the House of Representatives Building, Monday, November 29.

Arsul reminded, now the government should be more concerned with prevention efforts. In particular, foreigners who come from countries where Omicron has spread widely and was detected should be closed.

"For Indonesian citizens who returned from that place, I think they agree (increasing quarantine time, ed) and this has been decided by Mr. Luhut to quarantine for 7 days. Only this quarantine management needs to be really monitored and corrected because many people say there are 'mafia' officers in the field with certain hotel chains", said the chairman of the House of Representatives of PPP faction reminded.

Then, said Arsul, there was also the addition of a credible testing laboratory. So that there is no public suspicion of the results of the COVID-19 test.

"It must be given the convenience to bring in other accredited laboratories. Do not let the task force that comes to us make it difficult to get comparisons", said Arsul.

"I think (quarantine, ed) 7 days is enough, only the quarantine management is improved, so people don't have the perception that this is being used by people", he said.

For information, the government has banned foreigners who have a travel history for the last 14 days to 11 countries where the Omicron variant has been recorded. In addition, the government will also increase the quarantine time for foreigners and Indonesian citizens from abroad to 7 days from the previous 3 days.