President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged the Onward Indonesia Cabinet ministers and ministerial-level officials to ramp up the promotion of health protocols amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.
While presiding over a limited meeting on evaluation of Activities Restriction Enforcement (PPKM) at the Merdeka Palace here Monday, the president noted that intensifying health protocols will be crucial to prevent a spike in cases from spiralling out of control and disrupting the national economic recovery.
“We need to intensify the enforcement of health protocols. This will be important because we do not want COVID-19 handing disrupting our economy,” Jokowi stated at the start of the meeting, as observed from the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Monday.
The head of state emphasized that the meeting must discuss efforts to control the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants that are expected to peak in the second or third week of July.
“We will re-evaluate the PPKM measures. We know that we have 1,614 new (COVID-19) cases as per July 3 and expected to peak in the second or third week of this July,” Jokowi noted.
The president accentuated the need to bolster the distribution of COVID-19 booster vaccine, as the current vaccination rate stands at only 24.5 per cent.
He also specifically called on Indonesian Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa, the Health Ministry, and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), whose officials were present at the meeting, to continue organising booster vaccination drives.
“(This is) particularly in cities with high levels of social interaction,” Jokowi stated.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung were among the officials present at the limited meeting.
Source: Antara News