West Bangka Health Office Steps After PPKM Is Revoked: Prokes And Permanent Vaccination Are Priority

The Disease Prevention and Control Division of the West Bangka District Health Office, M. Putra Kusuma. (Photo via ANTARA/Donatus Dasapurna)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that the policy for the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) has been lifted. This is because COVID-19 cases in Indonesia are getting more and more under control.

The West Bangka District Health Office, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, responded wisely to the central government's decision. They have prepared a number of steps because they think the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet completely over.

"We must respond wisely to the revocation of the PPKM, because the termination of the policy does not mean that the COVID-19 pandemic has ended," said Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the West Bangka Health Office, Putra Kusuma, as reported by Antara, Saturday, January 7.

Putra Kusuma then invited the whole community to continue to carry out health protocols with discipline, especially in the use of masks when in crowded rooms, visitors and crowded places.

"Increasing the discipline of this health protocol we will continue to improve because it requires the participation of the entire community," he said.

The next step, he said, was to increase the participation of the community in full dose vaccination to support the realization of group immunity.

To date, West Bangka Regency out of 179,660 targets for COVID-19 vaccination, 157,878 people have received the first dose of vaccine or 87.87 percent, while the second dose is 129,430 people or 72.04 percent.

"We also continue to carry out booster doses so that the coverage currently reaches 43,984 people or 27.84 percent can continue to be increased according to the national target of 50 percent," he said.

The next step, the Health Office continues to monitor cases that are still happening by running 3T (tests, tracing and follow-up) as well as providing daily development reporting to the task force at the district and provincial levels.

"We will also continue to carry out socialization and education activities on comprehensive information in handling and controlling COVID-19 so that people are increasingly aware of prevention efforts independently," he said.

According to him, it is important to carry out risk communication programs so that people are more aware and willing to take independent prevention efforts and know what to do if they contract the virus.

With these various steps, it is hoped that the entire community can play an active role in controlling the transmission of the virus so that massive transmission does not occur again, as at the beginning of the pandemic which resulted in many severe symptoms, patients dying and the number of patients exceeding the capacity of services in hospitals.