Jokowi Praises South Sulawesi COVID-19 Handling

President Jokowi (Setkab)

MAKASSAR - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) praised and appreciated the handling of COVID-19 in South Sulawesi.

This was conveyed by Jokowi in a coordination meeting with the Governors of a number of provinces, including the Governor of East Java, the Governor Banten, the Governor of North Sumatra, and the Governor of East Kalimantan.

Even though it had increased, but intensive handling through the Trisula program (tracing, tracking, testing) and COVID-19 ambassador tours, positive cases of COVID-19 in South Sulawesi began to show a decline.

In addition, the death rate due to positive COVID-19 tends to be low, even the cure rate shows an increase.

This can be seen from a number of weekly data from the South Sulawesi Provincial Health Office, where the recovery rate in a week reaches 91.2 percent, higher than the national recovery rate, which is 82.6 percent.

The mortality rate data is currently at the level of 1.5 percent, lower than the national death rate, 2.9 percent. This condition can also be seen from the value of reproductive number which is below 1, namely 0.79, which indicates that COVID-19 is under control.

"In a coordination meeting with a number of governors, President Jokowi praised the handling of COVID-19 in South Sulawesi, which can be seen from a number of supporting data. The President asked other regions to follow what was being done in South Sulawesi, more strengthened tracing, tracking, and testing", he said. The Governor of South Sulawesi, Nurdin Abdullah, through his spokesman Veronica Moniaga, after meeting with President Jokowi, at the State Palace, Tuesday, February 9.

Nurdin said President Jokowi asked that the vaccination process in all regions be maximized and accelerated so that immune immunity can increase. In fact, the President added that the vaccination program in the regions should focus on residents who are vulnerable to contracting and transmitting COVID-19, be they health workers, residents who are active in crowds such as in markets.

"So the president urged a number of regions to immediately complete the vaccination process. After vaccination for health workers is complete, immediately proceed with the vaccination program for the general public, especially for those who are susceptible to contracting and transmitting COVID. Try as soon as possible so that the distribution of vaccines to the regions is smooth. until they did not get it because they were slow in implementing it", continued Nurdin Abdullah.

Governor Nurdin Abdullah also conveyed President Jokowi's important message to a number of regional heads who attended, so that they would not issue policies that could weaken economic activities in their respective regions. Especially policies that prevent business actors from continuing to move the economy in the regions through their activities

"The president asked regional heads to be careful in making policies, so as not to issue policies that hinder economic growth in their regions. So how to stay focused on dealing with COVID-19", he added.

"However, do not forget the efforts to recover the economy. Do not let policies become an obstacle for business actors while they are struggling to get up and continue to turn the wheels of the economy", continued Prof NA.

Nurdin Abdullah confirmed that until now he continues to boost infrastructure development in several lines, in order to provide added value to a number of sectors in South Sulawesi.

For Nurdin, the COVID-19 pandemic is indeed a collective task to be resolved immediately, but not forgetting the movement of the regional economy.

Even Nurdin's target for South Sulawesi to become independent of seeds and become a meat barn, continues to be pursued, including building connectivity in the tourism sector which is expected to open more jobs in the future.