Good News! The IDI COVID Task Force Calls Indonesia Already On The Right Line Towards A Phase Endemi

Head of the COVID-19 Task Force PB IDI Erlina Burhan (right) when he was a speaker at the Talkshow Why is Booster Still needed? (YouTube BNPB/ANTARA/Andi Firdaus)

JAKARTA - Head of the COVID-19 Task Force for the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB-IDI) Dr Erlina Burhan said Indonesia was on the right track to the endemic phase. "According to statistics, it is a matter of pride for the Indonesian people, that Indonesia is one of the good countries in control, because it is proven that the number of cases is in a controlled group compared to other countries. Indonesia is on the right track," said Erlina Burhan in a meeting themed 'Why is Booster Still needed?" which was followed from the BNPB YouTube in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, September 19. Erlina, who is also a doctor from the Department of Pulmonology and Medicine of FKUI's Respirations, said the WHO recently stated that the endemic was in sight. One of the indicators is the number of cases that continues to decline in various countries. "The decrease rate must be flat, don't be bumpy anymore. That's in terms of cases," he said. In addition, he said, the death rate due to COVID-19 worldwide also needs to be reduced to the lowest number. "The most important thing is, there is a condition where people have sufficient immunity if a virus enters. It can be obtained from vaccination," he said. The targets for endemic include declining transmission, low case death rate and confirmation of cases, as well as high vaccination coverage so that it can bring the country away from the pandemic immediately. The medicine specialist at the Friendship Hospital, East Jakarta, said cases in Indonesia had decreased drastically when compared to the Delta wave in July 2021 with the highest death rate at that time around 2,000 people a day. "When the Omicron variant, which now happens to have mild symptoms and the severity is not as heavy as Delta, the death rate is not as heavy as it used to be. Even now it is decreasing by about 20 people a day," he said. WHO predicts that the pandemic will end soon, he said, needs to be supported by the community by complying with health protocols and accessing vaccine protection. "Kalau itu bisa kita lakukan, mudah-mudahan Indonesia bisa ke arah itu (endemi)," katanya. Therefore, all sectors of society are invited to be involved in pursuing golden opportunities for endemic by continuing to maintain the achievements of the pandemic which is currently under control, said Erlina Burhan.