KEPRI - Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Indonesia is currently in the process of transitioning from a pandemic to a COVID-19 endemic.
"The transition to endemic is done gradually, it cannot be done all at once," said Minister of Health Budi during a working visit to Tanjungpinamg, Riau Islands (Kepri), as reported by Antara, Wednesday, May 18.
One of the efforts made by the government towards an endemic, he said, was by relaxing several health protocols that were previously very strict, such as free masks outside the room and the elimination of COVID-19 tests.
According to him, this indirectly can also educate the public to get used to maintaining the health protocols of each individual.
"All infectious diseases that are endemic, one of the characteristics is that each individual already understands what the disease is, how to maintain health protocols, and how to handle it if you have been exposed," said Budi.
Budi further conveyed that regarding free masks outdoors, people are asked to adjust if they are in a crowded environment or see friends around them with symptoms of fever, coughing and sneezing, so that they continue to wear masks to avoid possible transmission of the COVID-19 outbreak.
"If you feel safe and comfortable, please just remove the mask," said Budi.
He added that according to what President Jokowi said that so far the level of discipline in the use of masks by the Indonesian people is very high, so this has become one of the factors in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
In addition, he said, currently the development of COVID-19 cases in the country is decreasing, where there are almost no patients in hospitals, including the death rate due to COVID-19 is also very low.
"President Jokowi has just returned from America. There, the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia has been praised after it succeeded in reducing cases significantly," said Minister of Health Budi.
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