In a statement received here on Friday, Budiman said that health protocols, vaccinations, and tracing, testing, and treatment (3Ts) remain effective solutions to prevent the spread of the Mu variant.
Moreover, the health protocols should not extend to just the 3Ms, but also 5Ms, which involve wearing masks, washing hands with soap and running water, maintaining distance, avoiding crowding, and limiting mobility and interaction, he added.
The Mu variant of COVID-19 must be monitored since it has a fast infection rate, he opined. He pointed out that the variant had been detected in 43 countries in nine months.
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The Mu variant can lower the efficacy of vaccines and antibodies, he noted. People who have been infected with the Alpha and Delta variants of COVID-19 can still get infected with the Mu variant, he elaborated.
Budiman approved of the government's policy to tighten the entry of visitors into the country. It is not enough for a citizen to merely show a negative test result for COVID-19 to gain entry into Indonesia, he said.
According to member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR), Nurhadi, Indonesians must remain on alert for the Mu variant that has been detected in several countries.
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Indonesia needs to learn from the entry of the Delta variant into the country from India, he added.
"During that time, an Indian citizen entered Indonesia through the air (airport) without a tight selection and procedure. To this end, a case like that cannot happen again," Nurhadi said.
He opined that health protocols, especially wearing masks, should become the new protocol in citizens' daily life.
"We hope that the government will continue to disseminate the importance of the health protocols, including after the pandemic is over," he added.
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Translator: Boyke Watra, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
