Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture: Indonesia Is Confident In Entering The Endemic Phase Of COVID-19

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy delivers a press statement at the Heritage Building of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Central Jakarta, Thursday (19/5/2022). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus).

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK), Muhadjir Effendy, said Indonesia was confident in entering the endemic phase of COVID-19.

"Mr. President has allowed us to take off our masks, especially outside, that's how it is. It's okay here too, please", said Muhadjir Effendy during a speech on the agenda for signing the housing handover document after the Central Sulawesi earthquake in the Heritage Room of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Central Jakarta, reported by Antara, Thursday, May 19.

The permission to remove the mask from the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir was greeted with applause from the officials of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing along with staff and several representatives from the private sector involved in the project.

But only a few attendees decided to take off their masks, while most of the others chose to keep wearing masks until the event was over.

The Heritage Room of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is fairly wide with a capacity of around 200 people. That afternoon, the room was filled with less than 50 representatives of agencies and institutions occupying seats with a distance of about one meter per seat.

In addition, several air vents in the air-conditioned room are also open, so that the air circulation in the room moves well.

Guests who are present are also required to fill out the PeduliLindung application which is available at the entrance of the building and is facilitated by hand sanitizer in the attendance room.

Muhadjir said Indonesia's strength in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic could not be separated from the leadership of President Joko Widodo.

"If I were asked where Indonesia's strength is?, Mr. President managed to handle COVID-19 the best in the world. Apart from his leadership, this is because of the involvement of civil society forces, of course without it I am not sure to handle the pandemic well", he said.

Muhadjir added that in the last three weeks the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has tended to slop, despite an increase in several cities, such as DKI Jakarta.

"Why is this going up? Because the residents of Jakarta have gone home (home) and they are checking (PCR)", he said.

Although the number of COVID-19 cases has an increasing trend in some areas, Muhadjir ensures that the increase in numbers is not exponential.