Jokowi Immediately Announces Indonesia Entering COVID-19 Endemic Status: Decided This June

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo has decided that Indonesia will soon enter the status of the COVID-19 endemic by considering the number of daily cases and active cases that are sloping and the wide scope of COVID-19 vaccination.

"We have decided to enter the endemic, but when it is announced, (this) has only been finalized, within a week, two weeks," said Jokowi after opening the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) for Government Internal Supervision in 2023, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 14.

Jokowi ensured that the status of the COVID-19 endemic would be announced in June. Currently, he continued, the Government is finalizing the transition process from pandemic to endemic.

"Yes, this is final, this week, two weeks. It will be announced immediately, because everything has been (delayed)," he added.

Jokowi said the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the last few days was only 217 cases, with 10,200 active cases. Then, the achievement of COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia has also exceeded 452 million doses.

"So, yesterday we had a meeting and we decided to enter the endemic," he said.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said the Government agreed with the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) which had revoked its COVID-19 emergency status on May 5, 2023.

Therefore, Muhadjir said the Government would immediately complete the transition from the pandemic to the COVID-19 endemic in Indonesia.

With the end of the transition period from pandemic to endemic, Muhadjir said the COVID-19 Handling Task Force would be disbanded. The COVID-19 vaccine will also be given by the Government in a normal service scheme and including in ordinary infectious diseases.

Muhadjir also said that the COVID-19 vaccination for the community would be borne by the Government through the Health Social Security Administering Agency (BPJS), especially for the poor who were unable to receive Contribution Assistance (PBI).