Pangkalpinang (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian has called on residents of Bangka Belitung Islands Province (Babel) to always implement strict health protocols in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

"I call on the Babel government and residents to support the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19," Karnavian noted in a written statement read out by the Home Affairs Ministry's Expert Staff for Economics and Development, Hamdani, during the plenary session of the Babel Islands Province's 21st anniversary on Saturday.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic must be viewed as a challenge and an impetus to continue to accelerate and improve public services in a sustainable manner with the application of best innovation.

"The local government still needs to optimize public service management and serve the community by implementing health protocols," he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Babel Islands Province COVID-19 Task Force, Mikron Antariksa, has reminded the public and tourists to follow health protocol guidelines during the Christmas and New Year holidays in order to prevent a spike through the surfacing of the third wave of COVID-19.

"The government has published guidelines for community activities in implementing health protocols during the year-end holidays," Antariksa emphasized.

Antariksa later explained that the weekly and monthly accumulation of confirmed cases in Babel had decreased as a result of the policy from all regional heads to isolate all confirmed positive patients into integrated isolation.

Based on the latest data, the daily cases of COVID-19 in Babel increased by eight, with the cumulative case count reaching 52,187, number of recovered patients increasing by seven, with a cumulative figure of 50,635, and while there were no records of death, and the total death rate in Babel reached 1,452.

Related news: Bangka Belitung's COVID-19 recoveries rose 257 to 47,055
Related news: Regional heads should utilize vaccine stocks in area: Babel governor

Translator: Aprionis, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021