To Prevent COVID-19 B117 Mutations In The Community, Government Encourages Screening And Vaccination

ILLUSTRATION / UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said the government continues to strive to minimize the transmission of the COVID-19 mutation, namely B117, which has infected six Indonesian citizens (WNI).

One of them is by conducting strict screening for those who have just traveled from abroad.

"In principle, preventing the entry of cross-border transmissions or mutations of the COVID-19 virus will continue to be improved through a rigorous screening process, in accordance with SE Number 8 of 2021," Wiku said in a press conference that was broadcast online on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, 9. March.

In this circular, it has been regulated that travelers and immigrants who are foreign citizens (WNA) cannot enter Indonesia.

"Unless they fall into the criteria in accordance with Permenkumham Number 26 of 2020 and in accordance with the travel corridor arrangement or TCA agreement scheme and / or get special consideration or permission from the relevant ministries or institutions," he explained.

Meanwhile, Indonesian citizens who enter the country are required to carry out quarantine even though the test results with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method stated that they were negative for COVID-19. This step, said Wiku, was carried out to ensure that mutations of the B117 virus or others did not spread in Indonesia.

"In addition, tracing continues to be carried out for people who have close contact with those who have contracted COVID-19 B-117," he said.

Apart from the aforementioned points, Wiku also said that the prevention of transmission of this virus mutation is carried out by means of vaccination. This is because the COVID-19 vaccine used in Indonesia is still effective against mutations of the B117 variant.

The six people who were found to be exposed to COVID-19 type B117 were in DKI Jakarta 3 people, South Kalimantan 1 person, North Sumatra 1 person, and South Sumatra 1 person.

In the future, said Wiku, the government would continue to carry out research related to the characteristics of this virus mutation, both by carrying out genetic tracking and monitoring the virus' behavior consistently and intensively.

"This is done in order to prevent the addition of imported cases in the future and accelerate the handling of the national and even global COVID-19 pandemic," he concluded.