"Residents do not need to worry; you can carry out your activities. Omicron is waiting for us to be careless. That is why we keep popular places like tourist attractions under strict surveillance. For example, Pangandaran Beach, Lembang, Puncak, and other places that often go viral because of the crowd," he said when asked about the Omicron variant here on Tuesday.
The government has prepared all the handling efforts to prevent the transmission of the new variant of COVID-19, he added.
He then urged the people to continue their activities while following the health protocols.
According to Kamil, in West Java, there will be no special regulations for the new variant, and the handling pattern will remain the same as for the other variants.
Related news: Ministry breaks down chronology of first local Omicron transmission
The provincial government has prepared the infrastructure for handling COVID-19, including ensuring the availability of oxygen and beds for patients, he informed.
"Look, there is nothing new in the COVID-19 handling. Whatever the name (of the variant), the treatment is the same. The government does testing, tracing, treatment, and people follow the health protocols," the governor highlighted.
He said that even though the Omicron variant transmits faster, its fatality tends to be lower than the Delta variant.
Currently, people's immune response is tending to be stronger, in line with the vaccination program, he added.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of December 28, 2021, at least 4,262,157 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,113,472 people have recovered, and 144,071 people have succumbed to the deadly virus.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in Indonesia on December 16, 2021. As of Tuesday (December 28, 2021), as many as 47 cases of Omicron—46 imported cases and one local transmission—have been confirmed in the country.
Related news: Patient infected with Omicron relocated to RSPI Sulianto Saroso: gov't
Related news: First patient of local Omicron transmission is asymptomatic: Ministry
Translator: Ajat Sudrajat, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
