Ministry Of Health: The Status Of The COVID-19 Pandemic Does Not Necessarily End In August 2023

ILLUSTRATION PIXABAY

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said there was no certainty regarding when the government would revoke the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.

Although, previously there was a discourse that the status of the pandemic in the country would end in August 2023.

"Regarding the revocation (pandemic status), for the time being, there is no certainty," Syahril said in a virtual press conference, Monday, February 20.

The revocation of the pandemic status must also go through the approval of the World Health Organization or WHO which has the authority to declare COVID-19 no longer a global health emergency.

Some time ago, WHO had opened up opportunities for the status of the pandemic to end in 2023. However, there is no certainty when WHO will announce the pandemic can end.

"Revocation of the WHO-authority pandemic. Hopefully it can revoke the emergency in Indonesia first, because it is currently still an emergency," he said.

There are parameters for the revocation of the status of the pandemic in a country set by WHO. Among them is that the development of COVID-19 cases is very under control, the occupancy rate of COVID-19 patients in hospitals and the death rate is low, until the majority of people have undergone booster vaccinations.

"Not only Indonesia, but other nations can be revoked if the parameters can be controlled. So, it takes the role of all parties that booster vaccination is in ending this pandemic," said Syahril.

It is known that President Joko Widodo has officially revoked the status of implementing restrictions on community activities (PPKM) in Indonesia as of February 30, 2022. However, the status of the pandemic has not been revoked. Thus, the public is still required to implement health protocols.

On February 14, President Director of Bio Farma Honesti Basyir revealed that the government projects that the status of the COVID-19 pandemic will be revoked in August 2023.

"August is planned by the government to announce the end of the pandemic, free vaccinations will be continued until December specifically for other PBI (Recipients of Contribution Assistance) until August," said Honesti.