"The Increase In The Number Of COVID-19 Is Due To The New Variant, Not Mobility," Said Minister Of Health Budi Gunadi

JAKARTA - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that community mobility or movement did not affect the spike in COVID-19 cases, but was caused by the emergence of new variants. "Indeed, the surge in the COVID-19 wave was caused by a new variant, the scientific data is like that, not by movement or mobility, that's minor," said Budi at the Muhammadiyah Da'wah Center Building in Jakarta, Tuesday, January 3. Budi explained that the increase in significant cases in a number of countries in Europe and China at this time was due to the variants BA.5, BA.2.5, BA.75 and BF7. The three variants have actually entered Indonesia.

However, he said, Indonesia had already passed the peak phase of the increase in cases of BA5.2 and B.2.75. When the world was busy with the increase in the two variants, Indonesia actually had a declining number of cases. Meanwhile, the BF7 variant identified in Indonesia in July 2022 in Bali did not make a significant increase in cases.

"The number of cases of BF7 (confirmed) 15, and no movement has increased," he said. Budi said the controlled number of COVID-19 in Indonesia was because the immune system of the community had been formed. People who have received vaccinations and are then infected, make immunity stronger.

Unlike in China. According to Budi, China, which implements strict lockdowns, prevents natural immunity from forming, resulting in a spike in cases. "We, thank God, our population immunity is strong, a combination of vaccinations and infections. So, some are artificially injected, but naturally occur. So, in China because the lockdown is very strict, what is natural is that not as much as in Indonesia, it is not formed," he said. Reflecting on these conditions, the government then revoked the rules for the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM).

"So, we feel there is no need to tighten community activities because the immunity is already high," he said.