"The COVID-19 pandemic apart from reminding us to be persistent in following health protocols, also alerted us about the importance of enhancing the national healthcare system to become more resilient in future," the vice president remarked while officiating the COVID-19 Heroes Monument in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday.
Amin cautioned that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and will likely continue in the foreseeable future after global scientists warned of the emergence of the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
To prevent the new COVID-19 virus variant from entering Indonesia, the vice president urged the authority and all parties to enhance COVID-19 preventive efforts and expedite vaccination drives.
"We need to upgrade our healthcare system and accelerate COVID-19 vaccination efforts to expand the national vaccination coverage. Moreover, we need to remain disciplined in observing health protocols and stay adaptive to likely changes in future," he remarked.
Amin affirmed that the government will collaborate with relevant parties and institutions apart from maximizing health workers and regional health offices to expedite COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesian regions.
Military troops, police officers, National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) staff, and public organizations are among institutions invited to collaborate with the government to assist in conducting vaccination drives in their respective regions, he added.
"We will expedite COVID-19 vaccination efforts in agglomeration areas, regions with low vaccination rates, and regions outside Java Island," the vice president remarked.
Amin also urged security and immigration officers to intensify monitoring of arriving travelers at all land, sea, and air entry points to prevent the COVID-19 Omicron variant from infiltrating the Indonesian border and infecting Indonesian residents.
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Translator: Fransiska N, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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