We are ready for the war against the new variant (of COVID-19), Omicron
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Governor of Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria has said the Jakarta government is prepared to handle the Omicron variant of COVID-19, whose transmission has increased in the capital.

“We are ready for the war against the new variant (of COVID-19), Omicron,” he said at the National Library of Indonesia, here on Monday.

One of the causes for the increase in Omicron cases in Jakarta is that it serves as a transit point for international flights, Patria explained.

In addition, Jakarta is also one of the entry points for Indonesians and Indonesian migrant workers coming back from abroad, he said.

“Indonesian migrant workers who come from abroad, of course, have the potential to contract COVID-19,” he noted.

The deputy governor called for cooperation from all parties, including the community, to help the government curb COVID-19 transmission.

“The community must continue to follow the health protocols to curb COVID-19 transmission,” he said.

According to data from the provincial government of Jakarta, as of Sunday (January 16, 2022), the Omicron case count in the capital has reached 720. Of the total patients, 567 arrived in Indonesia after traveling abroad and 153 patients contracted the virus through local transmission.

Earlier, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had said that Jakarta would become the main battlefield for the Omicron surge in Indonesia.

According to the minister, 90 percent of local transmission is expected to occur in Jakarta.

“Therefore, we need to specially prepare the capital as the first war zone for facing Omicron,” he said after attending a limited meeting on Sunday.

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 16, 2022, at least 4,271,649 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,118,874 people have recovered, and 144,170 people have succumbed to the virus.

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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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