The toddlers, hailing from several sub-districts, contracted the disease from their parents or other infected people, spokesperson for the task force, Boy Yandra, said in Sungailiat, the capital of Bangka district, on Friday.
The infected toddlers have received medical treatment, he added.
He urged people to learn from such cases and asked parents testing positive for COVID-19 to isolate themselves temporarily and avoid direct physical contact with their kids, particularly toddlers.
According to the task force, Bangka district's infection rate has been recorded at 4,261, with 3,930 patients fully recovering and 73 others succumbing to the virus.
At least 258 patients are currently quarantined at home or in quarantine facilities in the district, Yandra informed and urged local residents to continue observing the government-mandated health protocols.
By doing so, the district’s infection rate can be reduced drastically, and it can again become a "safe zone", he said.
Coronavirus infections initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and thereafter spread across the world, including to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Indonesia announced its first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
Since then, the central and regional governments have been striving relentlessly to flatten the coronavirus curve by applying health protocols and social restrictions.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has dampened the purchasing power of families across Indonesia, the government also banned homebound travel, or “mudik", ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday season for two consecutive years.
Still, in the wake of Eid al-Fitr festivities, COVID-19 cases in Indonesia could peak by mid-June this year, Vice Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono has projected.
To prevent the emergence of new transmission clusters, the government is planning to extend the quarantine period for travelers arriving from abroad, particularly from countries hit by the COVID-19 crisis, to 14 days from five days earlier.
At present, Indonesia's total COVID-19 case count exceeds 1.8 million.
As part of efforts to tackle the pandemic, which has acutely impacted public health and economy, the Indonesian government rolled out a nationwide vaccination program to contain infections on January 13, 2021.
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On Thursday, President Joko Widodo observed a vaccination drive for public transportation workers and employees of small and medium businesses operating in the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal in East Jakarta.
As of Wednesday (June 10, 2021), at least 18.7 million Indonesians had received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot, while the number of fully vaccinated people was recorded at 11.4 million.
The Indonesian Health Ministry is targeting to inoculate 181.5 million people to create herd immunity against the virus, a task that is expected to take about 15 months. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Kasmono, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
