A lax on the part of parents to implement health protocols is apparent from the fact that children are taken outdoors. Parents take their children to shopping centers, restaurants, or to visit relatives
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Siti Nadia Tarmizi, spokesperson for vaccination of the Ministry of Health, attributed the current spike in COVID-19 cases among children in Indonesia to parental negligence in applying health protocols.

"A lax on the part of parents to implement health protocols is apparent from the fact that children are taken outdoors. Parents take their children to shopping centers, restaurants, or to visit relatives," the spokesperson noted in a statement here on Wednesday.

The number of COVID-19 cases among children has become a cause for major concern for the government, Tarmizi remarked.

The spokesperson called attention to the vital role of parents in protecting children from COVID-19 transmission.

"Children must stay at home. Parents must stay disciplined in implementing health protocols and avoid outdoor activities to prevent the (virus) transmission," she emphasized.

To offer protection, the government will commence vaccination for those between 12 and 17 years of age.

"We are finalizing the technical implementation, and we will do it in the near future," she remarked.

Based on the COVID-19 Task Force report, the number of cases involving children reached 12.6 percent, or more than 250 thousand of the total 2,033,421 cases, as of June 23, 2021.

Deputy for Child Protection at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Nahar, noted that on the basis of data as of June 2, children aged 6-17 years affected by COVID-19 constituted 5.6 percent of the total cases, while 2.3 percent of children up to the age of five years were affected by COVID-19.

Epidemiologist at the Faculty of Public Health at the University of Indonesia, Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, emphasized that parents should remind their children to always apply health protocols. "Use a mask, keep your distance, and avoid a crowd," he stated.

He also advised children to stay indoors. If children play outside the house, it should always be under parental supervision.

The increase in cases among children is also caused by a new variant.

"The previous variant rarely had symptoms. In this new variant, many have symptoms. The children themselves have low immunity," he stated.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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