People's compliance is essential, especially since currently, Indonesia is facing the threat of increasing COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, he said here on Monday.
"Being vigilant does not mean being in fear or panicking. Instead, it must be shown by serious compliance in following the health protocols as well as various restrictions on activities set by the government," he noted.
He said that he positively welcomed the government's appeal to people to postpone traveling abroad, noting that the government had banned officials from going abroad in December 2021.
He also voiced support for the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccinations, saying achieving community immunity is important for curbing virus transmission.
According to Nurhadi, accelerating vaccinations must become a serious concern for all parties down to the village level. He also deemed intensifying the promotion of health protocols and a healthy lifestyle as necessary.
"Basically, our last line of defense is our immune system. The Omicron is not more dangerous than the Delta variant, but again, do not be careless, do not underestimate it, yet do not panic and stay alert," he remarked.
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Meanwhile, an epidemiologist from the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia, Iwan Ariawan, said that the policies formulated by the government to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, especially the Omicron variant, were sufficient. The most important thing is the implementation of those policies, he added.
"Follow government advice. First, do not travel abroad. Second, get vaccinated immediately. Third, comply with the health protocols. Fourth, immediately get tested with RAT/PCR test if there are symptoms or close contact with COVID-19 patients," he remarked.
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 24, 2022, at least 4,289,305 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,124,211 people have recovered and 144,227 people have succumbed to the virus.
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Translator: Boyke Ledy, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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