The wave of infections caused by the new COVID-19 variants will peak in the next one to two months, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has predicted.

This is based on the data that the government has observed and the past COVID-19 case trajectory, he said in a post on his personal Instagram account @luhut.pandjaitan on Friday.

He then stressed that all parties must continue to be alert. His request referred to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases to five thousand in the past week.

In Java-Bali, a rise in daily confirmed cases has been observed across all of Java and Bali province. In addition, the death toll, primarily in Central Java and Yogyakarta, has increased significantly, he noted.

The government will continue to reflect on COVID-19 cases and patterns in other countries to predict all possibilities that may occur in the future, he informed.

The government will also continue to observe the case spike in several countries, which has been reflected in the rise in the number of hospitalizations and the higher death rate compared to the middle of 2022.

“However, this new variant is estimated to be lower (in terms of severity) as compared to the start of the year, namely the peak of Omicron,” he remarked.

With the case tally reaching five thousand cases per day amid the emergence of the XBB variant, the government has prepared several mitigation measures to keep the situation from worsening, Pandjaitan informed.

The measures comprise increasing booster vaccination coverage once again and continuing efforts to remind people to follow the health protocols, primarily wearing masks in enclosed spaces.

“Today, I also emphasized that the government will continue to use PPKM (public activity restrictions) level as the basis to restrict the people’s activities, which will continue to be evaluated,” he noted.

He also reminded the people to comply with the health protocols.

“The smallest tardiness and clumsiness will repeat the terrible experience in the past,” he added.

Source: Antara News