Foreign Minister Luhut Explains Bali's Weaknesses In Overcoming COVID-19: Minimal Testing And Tracing

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan in Bali (IST)

DENPASAR - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Pandjaitan, made a working visit to the island of Bali to review the handling of COVID-19.

Coordinating Minister Luhut said that vaccination in Bali was good enough to reach 90 percent. Then, the handling of centralized isolation such as in Buleleng, Bali, is also quite good because hundreds of people affected by COVID-19 have been discharged or recovered.

"Secondly, the issue of centralized isolation is so that as many of those who are affected as possible enter the centralized isolation. Because in Buleleng, several hundred have been discharged, not one has died", said Luhut, in Denpasar, Bali, Thursday, August 12.

However, for Bali what is still lacking is a matter of tracing and testing the community and that must be a concern.

"Indeed, testing and tracing are still lacking in Bali, so this is something that must be considered. Bali is now 90 percent vaccinated, it should be good but this is still stagnant and has not gone down (COVID-19 cases). We have seen the team here for a few days", he explained.

Coordinating Minister Luhut emphasized that centralized isolation is the key to inhibiting the spread of COVID-19 cases in Bali. Centralized isolation can also reduce the occurrence of family clusters.

"One issue centralized isolation is the key. So, how did as many as possible enter into the centralized isolation so that it reduces the clusters in the family? Secondly, religious events are temporarily suppressed. If there are 1,200 get-togethers, it's a new cluster", he said.

Luhut emphasized that the problem must be fixed immediately. Because, in Bali, for medicine, oxygen and doctors are sufficient.

"If I think these two are repaired, he will continue to be good. Because, there is enough medicine, enough oxygen, everything is enough, doctors are there, everything is there", he said.

"Don't, until later outsiders see that Bali is not a tourist destination because it is considered undisciplined. Because everywhere, if 90 percent of the vaccines should have been relatively stable, it doesn't say that COVID-19 has ended, but the death rate has decreased, the infection rate has decreased. decline, it will be seen. So Bali is not yet visible", said Luhut.

In addition, Coordinating Minister Luhut also asked the Governor of Bali and the Deputy Governor as well as regents and mayors to work in a coordinated manner to deal with COVID-19 in Bali.

"So, I ask the Governor, Mr. Deputy, Mr. Regent, let's work together. I think the Commander of the Regional Military Command and Chief of Police have worked hard. We saw earlier in Buleleng, how the Military District, Resort Police Chief, and the rector worked for hand in hand to invite people and everyone inside to be happy. I saw the same thing in Solo, Klaten in Jogja, Sleman, in Magelang, Kulon Perogo", he said.

"So they have fixed it there, here I hope that in the next few days the Governor and Deputy Governor have started to improve. So that Bali will get better", said Luhut.