Ministry Of Health: Booster Becomes A Travel Requirement As COVID-19 Cases Increase

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said that the government's plan to implement a booster dose of vaccine as a travel requirement is a form of tightening health protocols in line with the rate of increase in COVID-19 cases in a number of areas.

"The president has stated that (the trip condition booster). We don't want to go into the previous case that caused a spike in sick people," said Mohammad Syahril, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, July 5.

He said the national COVID-19 pandemic situation was under control in June 2022 with a positivity rate indicator below 1.15 percent and a transmission or spread rate of 1.03 per 100 thousand inhabitants per week.

Both of these situations are in accordance with the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), namely for the positivity rate below 5 percent and for the transmission rate below 20 per 100 thousand inhabitants per week.

"Yesterday it was under control, marked by the loosening of masks outside the room," he said.

Syahril said the pandemic situation allowed the number of cases to fluctuate. On June 30, 2022, the peak reached 2.200 cases, but in the last four days it has fallen again.

On 1-4 July 2022, the national number of confirmed COVID-19 cases declined consistently to 1.434 cases. "That is, the case does not continue to increase. Likewise, the positivity rate also decreases," he said.

However, the increase in cases to more than 1.000 patients is a warning to the public that there is an increase in cases that can threaten health, especially with the current Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, said Syahril.

"Now everything is done, including tightening. Sources of transmission due to indiscipline towards prokes and vaccinations have decreased," he said.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment as the Coordinator of Java-Bali Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan through an official statement, Monday (4/7), said the implementation of the booster vaccine as a condition for community mobility would only be implemented in two weeks at the latest.

The decision refers to the results of a Limited Cabinet Meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo and will be regulated through the COVID-19 Task Force regulation and other derivative regulations.