"I beg you once again to restrain yourselves from (traveling) abroad. And if you go abroad, comply with the health protocols; you must conduct a seven-day quarantine. Do not ask for a dispensation," he stressed at the 'PPKM Evaluation' online press conference, accessed from here on Monday.
The minister said that he and other officials underwent quarantine after returning from overseas trips.
He then appealed to people to avoid traveling abroad for the next two or three weeks to prevent the importation of new COVID-19 variants.
"If possible, don't go abroad in the next two weeks, or the next three weeks," he urged.
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According to the minister, even though the Omicron variant can transmit faster, it is less severe in nature.
"Like what the Minister of Health mentioned earlier, although it (the Omicron variant) is not that dangerous, if many people catch it simultaneously, it can be risky," he cautioned.
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 January 10, 2022, at least 4,266,649 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,116,202 people have recovered, and 144,136 people have succumbed to the virus
On December 16, 2021, the Health Ministry confirmed the first Omicron case in Indonesia, with a janitor at the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital, Jakarta, diagnosed with the virus. So far, the case count for Omicron in Indonesia has increased to 414.
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Translator: Ade Irma, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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