Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vaccination rates were among the key prerequisites for easing restrictions on community activities (PPKM) enforced in regions, according to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

"Vaccination rates are principal to determining the PPKM level in one region to ensure the residents' immunity despite the COVID-19 disease not being completely eradicated," Vice President Amin remarked while observing a vaccination drive at The Media Hotel and Tower in Central Jakarta, Tuesday.

The vice president emphasized that a minimum 50-percent vaccination coverage was the main criteria to improve the PPKM status in regions at level 3 to level 2. A minimum vaccination coverage of 70 percent is required to further improve the PPKM status, from level 2 to level 1, he added.

"A region currently placed at PPKM level 3 should reach a 50-percent vaccine coverage as a precondition for level 2 PPKM. Further improvement to level 1 PPKM requires a 70-percent vaccine coverage in the region," Amin noted.

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Earlier, coordinator for the implementation of PPKM in the Java-Bali Regions Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan declared that the government will consider vaccination coverage as a prerequisite for improvements to the PPKM status in regions.

"We have set a minimum of 50 percent first vaccine dosage recipients and 40 percent of vaccination coverage among elderly as an additional criteria for improving the PPKM status, from level 3 to level 2," Pandjaitan stated on Monday (Sept 13).

Regional authorities are given a two-week deadline to achieve the required target for PPKM level improvement in their region, he noted.

"If regional governments failed to achieve (the target in two weeks), they are risking the PPKM level in their region not improving from level 3," the coordinator cautioned. Related news: Healthcare reform key to tackle pandemic: Health Minister


Translator: Fransiska N, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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