'Don't Have Excessive Worry', Said Sultan HB X Reminding His Citizens About The Omicron Variant

DIY Governor Sri Sultan HB X/ Antara

YOGYAKARTA - The Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X hopes that the public will not worry too much about the possibility of Omicron cases appearing in the region.

"We don't have to worry too much," he said at the Kepatihan Complex in Yogyakarta, as reported by Antara, Friday, January 28.

He admitted that he had not received an official report regarding the certainty of the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 transmission in DIY, although he said that there was a possibility.

"Yes, maybe in the laboratory, yes, but I haven't received an official one (the report, ed.), I just don't dare to say for sure (Omicron, ed.), that's all," he said.

According to him, the public does not need to worry too much because generally people infected with the COVID-19 variant have mild symptoms as long as they do not have comorbidities.

"It's okay, it's light, it'll take 10 to 14 days (it's cured, ed.)," he said.

However, the King of the Yogyakarta Palace asked his citizens to be orderly in implementing health protocols while anticipating the symptoms of transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"The symptoms might be that people don't pay attention. For example, a little cough but don't assume Omicron, just shut up ah at most just coughing and taking cough medicine. We can't 'control' (control) things like that," said Sultan. He hopes that the results of laboratory tests to detect the transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in DIY can come out faster.

Thus, the DIY Regional Government can immediately get certainty to determine the next policy.

"I ask as soon as possible because we also need clarity," he said.

The DIY local government has made various preparations to anticipate the spike in cases triggered by the Omicron variant.

Both at the provincial and district/city levels, according to him, have prepared isoter (integrated isolation) facilities, medicines, and oxygen.

The Yogyakarta Center for Environmental Health Engineering and Disease Control (BBTKLPP) previously recorded an additional 12 people who were declared "probable" of contracting the Omicron variant of COVID-19 based on the results of the S-gene Target Failure (SGTF).

Thus, the overall "probable" Omicron cases in DIY are 16 people.

All samples of "probable" Omicron patients are still being tested for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to confirm whether they are Omicron positive or not.