JAKARTA - The Task Force for Handling COVID-19 requires a full dose of COVID-19 vaccination as a travel requirement during the 2021 Christmas and New Year 2022 holidays as an effort to reduce the rate of transmission of the corona virus.
"In the near future, the government will implement a mandatory full-dose vaccine policy for inter-district or city travelers in agglomeration areas during the Christmas and New Year period, outside the agglomeration area during the Christmas and New Year periods," said spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito. quoted by Antara, Thursday, 9 December.
He added that for regions outside the Java-Bali region where vaccination coverage is still below the national average, the central government gives discretion to local governments to be able to adjust regulations according to the conditions of their respective regions.
"For this reason, all people who have not been fully vaccinated can immediately visit the nearest vaccination service post, including at several airports and ports," he said.
Wiku reminded that Indonesia had never managed to get through the long holiday period without causing an increase in cases, therefore preparation for the Christmas and New Year period was important.
He conveyed that although the pandemic situation at the national level was still quite under control, there were six provinces that had experienced a significant increase in daily cases, namely Lampung, which experienced an increase in daily cases from one to 18 cases in four days.
Then, Bangka Belitung saw an increase in daily cases from eight to 15 cases in two days, DKI Jakarta from 41 to 70 cases in two days, West Java from 29 to 83 cases in three days, NTT from three to 27 in three days, and Papua West saw the increase in cases from four to 13 cases in five days.
In addition, continued Wiku, the effective reproduction rate (Rt) which indicates the potential for transmission in a population has also begun to show an increase in several provinces.
"The rise in Rt should be an early alarm in determining control measures," he said.
To date, Wiku explained, there are two islands that have experienced an increase in Rt, namely Java Island, which previously increased from 0.95 on 11 November 2021 to 0.98 as of 2 December 2021.
Sulawesi Island, which was previously 0.95 on November 11, rose to 0.98 as of December 2, 2021.
"Unfortunately, the increase in the Rt number in some areas is not accompanied by compliance with health protocols. In fact, health protocol discipline is an important aspect to prevent transmission," he said.
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