Avoid Being Careless, This Is Government's Plan Regarding Pandemic To Endemic Transition

Luhut Pandjaitan/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - A number of countries that have passed the peak of the wave of cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have again relaxed their activity restrictions. In fact, they have begun to implement the transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to endemic.

Countries that have tried to make peace with COVID-19 include Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy, France, Norway, and Singapore.

To note, endemic is an epidemic that continues to occur but is limited to certain areas. Unlike the pandemic, which requires special tightening, endemic policies are implemented to return people's lives to normal conditions and treat COVID-19 as an ordinary disease.

Will Indonesia participate in the transition from pandemic to endemic? Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan admitted that Indonesia would definitely go there.

However, there is something that Luhut underlined. Luhut does not want Indonesia to implement the policy in a hurry. "We don't need to be talkative like this country," said Luhut on Monday, February 21.

Luhut said the government would make this transition in stages, stages and continue based on data on health, economic and socio-cultural indicators, as well as continuing to apply the precautionary principle.

"Proposed concepts, criteria, and indicators for pandemics to endemic from time to time will continue to be refined with experts and experts in their fields," he said.

Luhut admitted that the government would still evaluate the plan to implement the endemic status before starting a transition like other countries.

Luhut also revealed indicators that became the basis for implementing the COVID-19 endemic preconditions before finally releasing the PPKM policy which is still in effect today.

These indicators range from the achievement of a high level of community immunity, a low case rate based on WHO indicators, to the adequate response capacity of health facilities and the use of active surveillance.

In addition, he continued, this pre-condition must also occur in a fairly long period of time and be stable or consistent.

"Proposed concepts, criteria, and indicators for pandemics to endemic from time to time will continue to be refined with experts and experts in their fields," said Luhut.

Luhut said that the most important way the government and society must take towards the transition from a pandemic to an endemic is to boost the second dose of vaccination and the main booster for the elderly.

Luhut also encouraged and asked for assistance from local governments and their staff to continue to actively socialize and maximize the number of booster vaccinations for those who already have tickets for the third dose of vaccine.

"I also ask that people who already have a third vaccine ticket or who have been fully vaccinated with a span of 6 months can go directly to the vaccine outlets that have been prepared," he added.