Coordinating Minister Luhut: Prevent Third Wave, Keep Daily Cases At 3000 Levels

Screenshot of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment as well as the Java-Bali PPKM Coordinator at a press conference in Jakarta, Monday, September 20 (Photo: Ade Irma Junida/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment as well as the Java-Bali PPKM Coordinator Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the government would maintain daily COVID-19 cases at the level of 2,700 to 3,000 cases to anticipate that a third wave would not occur. In an online press conference monitored from Jakarta, Monday, Coordinating Minister Luhut explained that this figure was obtained based on one of the studies "Multiwave pandemic dynamics explained: how to tame the next wave of infectious diseases", in which the key to contain the new wave is controlling the number of cases during the strolling period (when "In this study, it is recommended that the number of cases be detained at a rate of 10 cases per million population per day, or in the case of Indonesia, around 2,700 or 3,000 cases," he said as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, September 21. Coordinating Minister Luhut said, President Jokowi has asked the cabinet ranks to anticipate the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19. Armed with this report, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN) will also take advantage of the current improving conditions for future treatment. it is very possible things happen that are beyond our expectations. Because we still don't know much about the variant delta and the like," he said.

Coordinating Minister Luhut also believes that Indonesia will be able to control the pandemic with this target. The key, according to him, are 3T, 3M, massive use of PeduliLindung and vaccination. all the elderly should be vaccinated immediately, because those who are vaccinated against the elderly are still quite small," he said. Furthermore, he appealed to the public not to be euphoric over the existing achievements so as to ignore all forms of health protocols. According to him, what we have achieved together today is not a form of euphoria. which must be celebrated. "The slightest negligence that we do will lead to an increase in cases in the next few weeks. And of course we will repeat the restrictions that have been imposed again," he said. Nationally confirmed cases this Monday stood at 1,932 cases. There are also active cases reaching 55,936 cases. Especially in Java-Bali, daily cases recorded a decline of up to 98 percent from the peak point last July 15.