Some provinces still have a first-shot vaccination rate of below 20 percent, with 15 percent recorded in Lampung, 18 percent in West Sumatra, 18 percent n North Maluku, and 19 percent in Papua.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced that only four provinces still have a first-shot vaccination rate of under 20 percent.
“Some provinces still have a first-shot vaccination rate of below 20 percent, with 15 percent recorded in Lampung, 18 percent in West Sumatra, 18 percent in North Maluku, and 19 percent in Papua," Sadikin remarked during an online press conference on the extension of public activity restrictions (PPKM) monitored in Jakarta on Monday.
The minister noted that President Joko Widodo had urged the Health Ministry to channel greater attention on vaccination in the four provinces for ensuring more equitable vaccination coverage.
"The president has given directives that we should focus on the provinces whose vaccination rate is less than 20 percent, so that the Health Ministry, National Defense Force (TNI) chief, and National Police (Polri) chief can push the vaccination there,” he affirmed.
On the other hand, the minister is upbeat about the four provinces optimally utilizing their resources to expedite vaccination.
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“We are optimistic of being able to cooperate with the local governments to raise the vaccination rate to above 20 percent,” he affirmed.
Sadikin remarked that Indonesia had, so far, received 160 million vaccines out of which 157 million were distributed among regions in the country.
"Nearly 116 million out of the 157 million vaccines have been administered. As I said earlier, the regions currently hold 41 million vaccines in stock,” he remarked.
The minister urged the regions to use the vaccine stocks at the earliest in order to boost the vaccination rate.
According to the Health Ministry, 42,104,839 Indonesians have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose as of Monday.
The number of fully vaccinated Indonesians rose by 370,105 on Monday as compared to the day before, the ministry noted in a press statement released on Monday.
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Meanwhile, the number of Indonesians receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine jab increased by 544,363 to reach 73,310,563.
The ministry also noted that the number of people receiving their third or booster shots reached 784,374, an increase of 5,544 from the previous day.
Overall, Indonesia is seeking to vaccinate 208,265,720 citizens to build herd immunity against the coronavirus under the nationwide vaccination drive rolled out on January 13, 2021.
Indonesia witnessed the addition of 2,577 COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours ending Monday afternoon, while the number of recoveries climbed by 12,474, the ministry reported.
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Meanwhile, 276 patients succumbed to the infection on the same day.
The number of active cases or patients receiving treatment and conducting self-isolation fell by 10,173 to reach 99,696.
A total of 177,234 specimens were examined on Monday, with the positivity rate reaching 2.14 percent.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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