'No Other Country Is As Painstakingly Patient With COVID-19 As Indonesia', This Is What Luhut Said About The Handling Of The Pandemic

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JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan guarantees that no country in the world is as painstaking as Indonesia in dealing with the COVID-19 problem. The handling of the pandemic, said Luhut, was carried out in stages from top to bottom.

"If you look at it, there is almost no (country) in the world now that is as painstaking as we are in dealing with COVID-19. This means that it is integrated, integrated, holistic, and there are regular meetings held from the highest leadership down," said Luhut in a press conference on the results of the online PPKM evaluation limited meeting in Jakarta, Monday, January 3.

Luhut said, good coordination in handling COVID-19 is one of the main factors in controlling the pandemic in Indonesia for now. However, this should not make Indonesia proud and arrogant.

"Earlier, the President also conveyed a message, not only handling (good) COVID-19, we also have to carry out others like this so that we can really solve the problem," he said.

Luhut said contingency efforts have also been arranged by the government to deal with the wave of Omicron variants that have now spread in the country.

He also ensured Indonesia's readiness from quarantine places, hospitals, medicines, to medical devices to deal with the spread of Omicron.

In addition to better preparedness, Luhut also mentioned that Indonesia's discipline towards health protocols is better than a number of other countries.

"Why are we better than other countries, such as India, which is currently experiencing Omicron, I want to convey, because we are more disciplined in wearing masks, for example, than in America or Britain or anywhere else," he said.

Luhut said that the control of COVID-19 also allowed the economy to recover. In fact, he claims that the Indonesian economy is one of the best.

Luhut emphasized that the government calculated in detail and prepared anticipatory efforts to deal with the worst situation.

The former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs said that it was possible that Omicron had already spread to the public. Therefore, discipline needs to be applied continuously.

"We don't need to be afraid to be overly paranoid. But wearing this (mask) in a public space is mandatory. I think we should remind each other. I think we stay relaxed but disciplined, I think that will prevent us from entering the past," Luhut concluded.