Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has urged people to not be overly euphoric over the recent improvements in COVID-19 handling and focus on anticipating an explosion in cases after the New Year.

In a statement received here on Monday, he said that he did not want another spike in COVID-19 cases at the beginning of next year.

There was a spike in COVID-19 transmission in early January 2021, he noted. The spike was caused by high mobility and activities that caused crowding during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods, he added.

The minister called for good anticipation so that a rise in COVID-19 cases  will  not happen again.

“We don’t want it (to happen again). (As per) Mr. President’s direction, he doesn’t want to repeat it. Don’t let there be a spike (in COVID-19 transmission cases),” he reiterated.

Karnavian said that Indonesia must maintain the current trend in cases, which has been going well.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed Indonesia as a Level 1 country in terms of COVID-19 spread, which means coronavirus transmission in the country is low, he said. This status is reflected on CDC’s official website, he added.

“We are a low country (in terms of COVID-19 spread rate), not many countries are low, for a class like Indonesia, which (has) 270 million people, it can be categorized as low, that’s extraordinary,” he remarked.

He said that this success has been due to the hard work of all stakeholders, and as such needs to be maintained and improved.

Among the efforts that can be undertaken to achieve this are imposing strict health protocols at all times, the minister said. Thus, people should not be euphoric over the relaxation of community activities in accordance with the decline in COVID-19 cases, he added.

“Don’t be euphoric, the relaxation has been done gradually. Don’t go back to immediately (do activities) as if there was no pandemic. This is what we need to be aware of together and ask for support from all stakeholders, including the community, so that we can control it without (creating) a new spike (in cases),” he said.

Source: Antara News