Wary Of More Contagious COVID-19 Variants, Jokowi Orders Testing And Tracing To Be Improved

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered his staff to increase testing and tracing in each region. This is done to be aware of the threat of a new variant of COVID-19 which is more contagious than the Delta variant.

"We must always be aware that there are a possibility that the world will face other (COVID-19) variants that are more contagious. Therefore, I order that testing tracing can be increased higher", Jokowi said in a video description uploaded to the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Sunday, July 25.

In addition, Jokowi also ordered the response to treatment or treatment to be increased to reduce the rate of transmission and increase the recovery rate.

Jokowi reminded his staff that the main pillars of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic are strict health protocols, implementation of testing, tracing, and treatment.

Jokowi also asked his ministers to participate in distributing several vitamins, supplements, and medicines for COVID-19 therapy to the public, especially those who are undergoing self-isolation. The goal, so that the death rate in the community can be reduced as much as possible.

"And for areas that have a high mortality rate, increasing hospital capacity, centralized isolation, and the availability of oxygen need to be increased immediately", said Jokowi.

Finally, the president reminded the public to continue to be disciplined in following strict health protocols, especially wearing masks. Jokowi invites all elements of society to unite in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

With good cooperation from all parties including all levels of society, he hopes that Indonesia will soon be free from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Finally, I invite all levels of society, all components of the nation to unite, work together to fight COVID-19. With our joint efforts, God willing, we will soon be free from COVID-19 and socio-economic activities can return to normal", he concluded.