For Residents Who Have Complete Vaccinations, Luhut: Please Go To Mal

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, believes that COVID-19 vaccination will play a major role in controlling the pandemic.

That is why, said Luhut, the government has not thought about an emergency brake policy, even though currently COVID-19 cases are increasing due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

"We believe that the results of our first and second dose of vaccination went well. Second, our discipline also went well, handling comorbidities as well", said Luhut in a virtual press conference, Monday, February 14.

Therefore, Luhut asked people who had received a complete dose of vaccination, even a follow-up or booster dose to carry out their usual activities with the implementation of health protocols.

"I've been vaccinated twice, let alone a booster, with strict health protocols, feel free to go anywhere, go to malls, all kinds of things, use PeduliLindung, and so on", he said.

Luhut also revealed that currently, the characteristics of COVID-19 are more benign than the beginning of the pandemic.

Based on data obtained by the government from studies abroad, there has been a decrease in the death rate due to COVID-19 along with the development of mutations in the virus. Now, COVID-19 is only twice as deadly as the common cold.

"In mid-2020 COVID-19 was detected 13 times more deadly than the usual flu. However, in early 2022 COVID-19 is predicted to be only 2 times more deadly than the flu", he said.

Luhut continued, various data also stated that the Omicron variant, which now dominates the COVID-19 mutation, is indeed much more contagious but the symptoms are much lighter than the Delta variant in mid-2021.

"So, until today we haven't seen anything very serious that we need to be afraid of, but we remain vigilant. Again, there is no decision making without listening to them, we just discuss and we decide", he added.