"There is no pandemic that ends in a short time. The shortest, as far as I know, is five years, but some (last up to) tens to hundreds of years. Hence, we must learn to live with itJakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has called on the public to start learning to adapt and coexist with the COVID-19 pandemic, as no pandemic could ever be over in a short period of time.
Sadikin delivered the statement while accompanying Vice President Ma'ruf Amin during the review of mass COVID-19 vaccination for media workers at Bentara Budaya here on Thursday.
"There is no pandemic that ends in a short time. The shortest, as far as I know, is five years, but some (last up to) tens to hundreds of years. Hence, we must learn to live with it," he remarked.
To start adapting to the pandemic, the first step for everyone is to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the minister emphasized.
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"The first measure we have to take is ensure that our friends get vaccinated quickly. That is the number-one priority. If we can, we should immediately get two doses of the vaccination," he stressed.
Furthermore, he reminded the public to steer clear from being ecstatic or euphoric over the better control of COVID-19 transmission cases through vaccines.
Sadikin cited the examples of several countries that had high COVID-19 vaccination rates, yet they continued to witness an increase in the number of cases.
"We see countries, such as Israel and the United States. The vaccination rate is high, but (cases of transmission) are rising again, as they ignore health protocols," he pointed out.
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Hence, he urged people to continuously adhere to health protocols through a disciplined approach despite having received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On the other hand, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin stated that the government will increase efforts in testing, tracking, and treatment (3T), so that the cases of COVID-19 transmission can be suppressed.
"The government continues to conduct testing, tracing, and isolation. If one person is hit, they are immediately examined and tracked until maybe more than 10 people are tracked," the vice president remarked.
In addition to stepping up the application of 3T, Amin pushed for diligent adherence to health protocols and vaccinations as crucial aspects to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
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Translator: Fransiska N, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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