WHO Reports Global COVID-19 Cases Rise, Ministry Of Health Wants Residents To Take Care Of Prokes

ILLUSTRATION/PIXABAY

JAKARTA - The Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccination of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the global situation of the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be a lesson for the public in complying with health protocols.

"One thing that is considered to have influenced the increase in cases is that various easing and decreasing compliance with health protocols have been carried out, such as the use of masks, washing hands, and keeping a distance," said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, October 27.

Nadia said the government continues to remind the public that the pandemic is not over yet. The dynamic movement of the COVID-19 virus at the global level, the level of compliance with health protocols in the country, and the vaccination coverage targets that still have to be pursued are reminders that vigilance must continue to be increased.

Based on the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) as of October 26, 2021, Nadia said, there was an increase in the number of cases and deaths at the global level.

From this situation, Indonesia can learn that vaccines alone are not enough, but must be balanced with compliance with the health protocols that have been established, Nadia added.

In the country, although the pandemic situation is under control, the long holidays in the framework of Christmas and New Year will soon arrive. For this reason, Nadia reminded that there was potential for increasing population mobility at that time.

This situation, Nadia said, could open the risk of a spike in cases and even a third wave of COVID-19.

"We can prevent a potential spike in cases or a potential third wave by not increasing mobility to 10 percent as in the same conditions in 2020 and after Eid 2021," he said.

According to Nadia, there are currently 105 regencies/cities in 30 provinces which have seen an increasing trend of confirmed cases in the last seven weeks.

"This of course demands mutual vigilance, considering that Indonesia has been in a state of continuing to reduce the number of COVID-19 transmission cases while simultaneously suppressing the number of positive cases to the lowest possible level," he said.

Nadia also appealed to the public not to hesitate and not be afraid to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination according to the available schedule. "We can end the COVID-19 pandemic if we unite against it. History has proven that vaccines have saved the world from pandemics several times. Vaccines are one of the most valuable discoveries in the world of science,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 and New Habit Adaptation Ambassador Reisa Broto Asmoro highlighted the decline in the level of Prokes compliance in the community.

"Of all the crowd locations monitored in the last seven days, the decline in health procedures occurred in restaurants and shops by 20.6 percent and 9.9 percent of tourist attractions included in the category of compliance with wearing masks of less than 60 percent. This is a halfway point," he said.

He reminded that although gathering with people who have been vaccinated and whose health status is known through the PeduliLindung application, people should not be too confident in crowding and making contact without wearing masks. "Moreover, the national vaccination coverage has not yet reached 100 percent," he said.

According to Reisa, only about 25 percent of the vulnerable population were fully vaccinated and only 50 percent of the vulnerable and the general population had the first vaccine.

For the age group of 12-17 years, he said, only 3.1 million more children have been fully vaccinated and 3.8 million have just received the first dose.

"And the most serious thing is that there are still many elderly people who must be invited to participate in vaccinations," he said.