Covid-19 Cases Rise Again, Experts Ask Indonesia Not To Be Careless

Illustration of community activities during the COVID-19 pandemic (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has issued an official appeal to all health care facilities to increase vigilance. This was done following the increase in Covid-19 cases in a number of Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Based on data from the Ministry of Health, during the period 25-31 May 2025, Indonesia recorded the addition of seven new cases, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases this year to 72 cases.

Responding to the situation, FK-KMK Professor UGM Tri Wibawa asked the public not to be careless even though the current virus variant circulating in Indonesia is different from those in neighboring countries. "Learning from the pandemic period, transmission can be very fast and wide. So it would be better if we prepared," Tri said in his statement, Thursday, June 5.

Tri explained that the variants that are now dominant in Asian countries include: 1. XEC and JN.1 in Thailand2. LF.7 and NB.1.8 (derivative JN.1) in Singapore3. JN.1 in Hong Kong4. XEC (derivative JN.1) in Malaysia

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the dominant variant is MB 1.1, which is not included in the list of variants of interest (VOIs) and under-monitoring (VUMs) from WHO. The symptoms of the MB 1.1 variant are similar to those of the Omicron variant, such as fever, cough, sore throat, dizziness, nausea, joint pain," he explained.

Although the spread of the virus is low and the symptoms are observed to be mild, Tri still emphasizes the importance of vigilance and maintaining health protocols. "Use a mask if you have the flu or are not healthy. Avoid crowds if you are not fit," he said.

In addition, he also encourages people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as maintaining cleanliness, eating nutritiously, and getting enough rest. Tri closed its appeal by inviting people to remain calm and rely on information from trusted sources.

"We have experience and provisions to deal with this situation together," he concluded.