The test kits are being distributed to all main entry points across the country in order to identify Omicron cases faster.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is applying four strategies to handle and prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The four strategies are tight health protocols (washing hands, wearing masks, and social distancing), surveillance (testing, tracing, and self-isolating), vaccination, and treatment, Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate said in a written statement received on Tuesday.

Another scenario would be tightening quarantine for international travelers since 98 percent of Omicron cases in Indonesia have been imported, he added.

The government is also preparing quarantine centers in Jakarta, Surabaya, Batam, and Entikong in addition to increasing the number of PCR test kits to identify Omicron cases, he informed.

Related news: Ministry asks people to reduce mobility amid Omicron threat

"The test kits are being distributed to all main entry points across the country in order to identify Omicron cases faster,” he said.

The government has also raised the number of genome sequencing kits to accelerate and expand testing networks outside Java, he disclosed.

It is also accelerating and expanding national vaccination campaigns targeting people who run a high risk of being exposed to COVID-19, he said.

“Health facilities and hospitals including beds, medicines, and oxygen have been readied to face the possibility of a case spike,” he said.

In the meantime, the government is seeking to invite the public to remain disciplined in complying with the health protocols, which have proven effective in preventing COVID-19 transmission.

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: Ministry aims to fully vaccinate 208 mln citizens by March 2022



Translator: Suryanto, Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021