New COVID-19 Variant Has Emerged In Indonesia, The Government Immediately Tracks It

Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force in handling the COVID-19, Wiku Adisasmito confirmed the emergence of a new mutation of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The government will conduct tracing of close contacts with the aim of preventing the spread.

"These findings will be followed up with an immediate investigation of these positive cases to prevent the spread of spreading. Currently, officers at the arrival gate and various elements involved with the COVID-19 Task Force will continue to monitor implementation in the field", Wiku said in a press conference broadcasted online on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel, Tuesday, March 2.

Regarding the area of the spread of the new mutated COVID-19 virus called B117, Wiku has not mentioned it. However, what is certain, he said, the government will take the necessary actions, even if necessary, the rules will also be changed.

"The government will try to be adaptive to the existing situation and conditions, including changing policies if necessary", he said.

As previously reported, Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono confirmed that today a new mutation of COVID-19 was found in Indonesia. The new mutated COVID-19 variant is named "VUI-202012/01" or B117.

"If one year ago we found case 01 and case 02 COVID-19, last night I received information that in exactly one year today we found the G117 mutation in Indonesia. This was only last night we found two cases", said Dante on the YouTube channel of Ministry of Research and Technology (Kemenristek)/National Agency for Research and Innovation, Tuesday, March 2.

He said that the emergence of a new coronavirus strain that had entered Indonesia meant that the pandemic challenge was getting tougher.

The new challenges faced, said Dante, are efforts to develop faster research processes, better treatment models, and analytical epidemiological studies.

"This mutation process is already around us. Hopefully, the collaboration we are working on from the community, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Agency for Research and Technology will create positive things that will get us out of this pandemic, into one endemic scope, and if we do. maybe we will enter the eradication process", he explained.