President Joko Widodo's Four Directions Regarding The Evaluation Of PPKM

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Photo: Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conveyed four directions from the PPKM evaluation, including strengthening the handling of COVID-19 downstream, preventing local transmission, and accelerating COVID-19 vaccination.

The four directives were conveyed by President Jokowi while chairing a limited meeting via video conference from Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Monday, as quoted from an official statement from the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat.

For the first directive, the President asked his staff to use a different approach to handling the increase in active cases of COVID-19 in the country, especially the Omicron variant.

According to the President, if you look at the characteristics of the Omicron variant, then strengthening the downstream part must be carried out as a short-term handling effort.

"In the short term we must strengthen the downstream section, socialization, massive education for people who are positive without symptoms to self-quarantine by consulting doctors independently at the puskesmas, at health facilities, or through telemedicine (online health services). Then stock up on medicines "The availability of medicines in these pharmacies really must be controlled," the President said as quoted by Antara, Monday, January 31.

Second, the President asked his staff to prevent local transmission within the country, especially in a number of provinces which are the biggest contributors to active cases in Indonesia. The President hopes that the public remains calm and disciplined in implementing the health protocols.

"Stay calm, don't panic but you have to stay alert, then also discipline the health protocols with the TNI and Polri, especially the massive 3M (wearing masks, keeping distance, and washing hands), as well as close contact tracing, this is what we have done, "The President said. Third, the President reminded the importance of discipline in tightening the entry gates and implementing the quarantine of travelers from abroad in accordance with the established rules.

While the fourth directive is that President Jokowi asks his staff to accelerate the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

"Lastly, in relation to vaccines, I ask for the acceleration of the first and second vaccinations, but I also ask for the booster vaccination to be accelerated, especially the achievement of vaccinations for children 6-11 years old and for the elderly," said President Jokowi.