The case surge in Indonesia last July was not caused by the increase in global cases coming from other countries, but from domestic factorsJakarta (ANTARA) - The surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia in July 2021 was triggered by several domestic factors, Head of the National COVID-19 Task Force's Expert Team Professor Wiku Adisasmito has revealed.
"The case surge in Indonesia last July was not caused by the increase in global cases coming from other countries, but from domestic factors," Adisasmito said while explaining the progress of COVID-19 handling in Indonesia, which was monitored on YouTube on Tuesday afternoon.
According to him, the internal factors that caused the increase in cases were the high mobility and social activities of the community that coincided with the Eid al-Fitr homecoming period and the neglect of health protocols.
The spike in cases in Indonesia last July did not contribute significantly to global cases, considering that, at the same time, the world was experiencing a decline, he noted. On the other hand, the spike in cases at the global level and in several countries did not have a significant impact on the development of Indonesia's cases, Adisasmito observed.
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The world experienced the second wave of infections earlier in April 2021, while Indonesia only recorded the second wave in July, that is three months after the world's second wave, he added.
"It is proven by the sloping of COVID-19 cases when cases in other countries are soaring. This can happen because of strict border guarding efforts so that the imported cases from countries experiencing a spike can be kept to a minimum," he remarked.
There is still a chance of cases increasing during long holidays and the implementation of large-scale community activities in the country, he said.
"Although there are new waves in several other countries, we also need to pay attention to the threat of cases spiking in Indonesia due to the tradition of gathering and traveling during holidays, which often causes people to ignore health protocols," he added.
Adisasmito said a potential increase in cases can be avoided if the government and the public carry out strict health protocols, accelerate vaccination, control domestic and foreign mobility, control community activities, and promote the 3Ts (testing, tracing, and treatment) and 3Ms (wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and washing hands).
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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