"At present, no country has successfully controlled their COVID-19 infection rate to reach zero, hence we must prepare ourselves to co-exist with the COVID-19 disease," executive secretary I of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Raden Pardede, stated at the Indonesia Economic Forum virtual conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The transition strategy will prioritize the healthcare sector, he said.
The first step in the strategy is to achieve a high vaccination rate among vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and immunocompromised people who have a higher probability of getting infected and succumbing to the virus, Pardede informed.
The second step is to achieve nationwide herd immunity by expediting COVID-19 vaccination efforts so that 70 percent of the Indonesian population receives the first dose and 60 percent of residents complete their second jab soon, he said.
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The third strategy is to ensure medicine and vaccine availability by encouraging research and development for domestic production of COVID-19 medicines and vaccines, the executive secretary added.
The fourth strategy is to enhance healthcare facilities and health workers' competency, he said.
"Those four steps are our strategy to enter the endemic stage, and we hope we can co-exist with COVID-19 by next year," Pardede remarked.
Despite the strategy having been conceived, the government will continue to adjust the transition to prevent COVID-19 cases from surging suddenly, he said.
The government would also enforce strict health protocol measures to ensure residents' safety from the virus, he added.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia V, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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