Preventing The New Variant Of COVID-19 From Entering The Country, Airlangga: Border Posts Continue To Be Guarded

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto/DOK VIA ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Coordinator for the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) Outside Java-Bali, Airlangga Hartarto, said the government continues to try to prevent the entry of new variants of COVID-19 into the country. One of them by guarding the border entrance.

"The government prevents the entry of new variants through air, sea and land and therefore coordination between ministries is very necessary. The President requested that border posts be maintained," he said in a virtual press conference, Monday, September 13.

Currently, Indonesia is still closing the entrance to foreign tourists. This is aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

In addition, said Airlangga, to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the government has also intensified the COVID-19 vaccination program. He said, the current stock of vaccines will be focused on the first dose of vaccination.

"Then the distribution (vaccine) in the future to districts / cities whose vaccine achievements are below 20 percent," he explained.

Airlangga said as long as the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading in Indonesia, the government will continue to enforce the PPKM policy.

For information, the government initially implemented Emergency PPKM on July 3-20 in Java-Bali, and July 12-20 outside Java-Bali. Then it was extended with the new term PPKM Level 4 on 20-25 July. Furthermore, the PPKM was extended for the period 26 July-2 August, and for the 3-9 August 2021 period.

Then it was extended again for the period of August 10-16, and on August 17-23, and extended again for the period of August 24-30, also on August 31-6 September. Thereafter, an extension will be carried out from 7-13 September. Then, the government officially said that PPKM would continue to be carried out as a form of handling COVID-19.

"PPKM is valid as long as the pandemic exists," he said.

Airlangga said the government would implement PPKM in accordance with the conditions in each region in the country. Any condition will be evaluated every week.

"It applies according to the results of the evaluation meeting which is chaired directly by the President every week," he explained.