Discipline in implementing the health protocols and vaccinations must continue to be maintained until the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over, Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril said at an online press conference on Friday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has thanked all countries for keeping COVID-19 under control, hence it can be said that the pandemic’s end is within reach, he noted.
However, just because the endemic phase is within sight, it does not mean that the threat of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is over, he added.
Therefore, Indonesians must play a role along with the citizens of the world to utilize the endemic golden opportunity by maintaining the health protocols and vaccinations.
The WHO’s policy to revoke the pandemic status will depend on how people respond to the pandemic situation in each country.
“If we cannot maintain health protocol discipline and vaccination, what the WHO said may not turn out to be a golden opportunity,” he remarked.
The WHO has provided six guidelines to all country stakeholders looking to shed the pandemic status, Syahril added.
They include COVID-19 vaccination coverage of 100 percent among priority groups such as health workers and at least 97 percent among the elderly.
The WHO has also recommended case tracing through testing and sequencing, including for other respiratory disorders such as influenza.
All countries have also been urged to build health system readiness to provide medical services to patients.
Moreover, all countries need to integrate COVID-19 services with their primary health service system at the level of public health centers (puskesmas) and clinics.
The next recommendation is to ensure the availability of all health facilities and workers for dealing with any rise in cases.
Source: Antara News