Transfer Of Pandemic Status To Endemic Determined After Eid

Illustration/Photo: PIXABAY

JAKARTA - Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force (Satgas) Suharyanto does not want to rush to determine when is the right time to change the status of the spread of COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. Everything will be re-evaluated after Eid this year.

"Later, we will see progress going forward. Hopefully, after Eid 2022, the conditions will not be like the previous long holidays," said Suharyanto in a press conference quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Friday, April 1.

According to him, the government is currently taking steps to welcome the Eid holiday. Suharyanto said this step was taken because this moment is usually followed by an increase in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of new variants after that.

Thus, it is important for the COVID-19 Task Force to continue to monitor future developments before making a decision.

"We see that every Eid al-Fitr there is always an increase in new cases and variants. Hopefully now it will not be like that," he said.

If after the Eid holiday, which has now relaxed, there is no increase in cases, then the possibility of a change in status from a pandemic to endemic could occur. However, the precautionary principle is still applied to protect the community.

"If (the case, ed) remains sloping (during Eid holidays, ed), there is no significant increase, maybe we will think about switching to endemic status," said Suharyanto.

"We must be careful and vigilant. There are many factors and of course the Task Force cannot decide," he concluded.