High Mobility Like Before The Pandemic, Task Force Asks Riau Islands Regional Government To Highlight Ports To Prevent Omicron BA.5 And BA.4

Illustration of the atmosphere of the passenger port (Antara-M Adimaja)

KEPRI - Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force for the Riau Islands Province (Kepri), Tjetjep Yudiana, asked the local government and officials to be aware of the transmission of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 starting from regional borders.

Meanwhile, access to sea and air transportation from Java and Jakarta to Riau Islands is now running normally as before the pandemic.

"Be alert without fear and panic. That's what is needed," said the former Head of the Riau Islands Health Office in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, Friday, June 17.

Tjetjep said that the mobility of residents between regions to and from ports and airports in Riau Islands has the potential to cause transmission. Especially at this time, active cases of COVID-19, one of which is in DKI Jakarta, is increasing sharply.

He said the vigilance of the public and government officials must be followed by discipline in the use of masks, especially in crowded places, even in open spaces.

According to Tjetjep, people are not panicking about COVID-19, unlike the conditions in 2020-2021. This is because the immune system has been formed naturally or through the COVID-19 vaccination.

"Conditions are now much better because the number of people who have contracted COVID-19 is small, and the number who died is small," he said.

Tjetjep said that until now there have been no patients infected with Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. On average, COVID-19 patients contracted Omicron so they recovered quickly, unlike when Delta, the COVID-19 variant attacked the community without mercy.

The mortality rate of patients infected with Omicron is also relatively low.

"There is the addition of one new active case of COVID-19 in Batam, bringing the number of patients in this city to three. In Karimun there have been two active cases since a few days ago, hopefully they will recover soon," he said.