We have to be cautious, especially with the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The enforcement of community activity restrictions (PPKM) in the Java-Bali region has been extended by two weeks until November 29, 2021, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has announced.

In a statement received here on Monday, he reminded the public to remain vigilant, saying the number of cases in several districts and cities in the region has increased in the past week.

Throughout Java-Bali, 29 percent of districts and cities have recorded a rise in the number of cases compared to the previous week, he noted.

Meanwhile, 34 percent of districts and cities in the region have reported an increase in the number of treated COVID-19 patients, he said.

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"We have to be cautious, especially with the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching,” the minister, who is also the PPKM coordinator for the Java-Bali region, emphasized.

Moreover, public mobility has started to rise significantly, he pointed out.

The mobility rate has exceeded the rate recorded during the 2020 Christmas and New Year holidays and is almost equal to the rate seen during the Eid al-Fitr holidays in May-June 2021, Pandjaitan said.

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Furthermore, currently, 26 districts and cities are at Level 1 PPKM, 61 districts and cities are at Level 2, and 41 districts and cities are at Level 3, he informed.

He then urged the public to continue following strict health protocols considering that 47 percent of districts and cities in Java-Bali have still not vaccinated 50 percent of their elderly population with the first dose.

In addition, the second dose vaccination coverage among the general public in 75 percent of districts and cities in the region is still below 50 percent, he noted.

"In fact, there are still 16 districts and cities in Java-Bali where the second dose vaccination coverage for the general public and the first dose vaccination coverage for the elderly is still less than 50 percent," he added.


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Translator: Ade Junida, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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