Vaccination is able to reduce the patient's severity. We urge people who have not been vaccinated to immediately complete the vaccine dose, including the third dose
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has prepared centralized isolation facilities (isoters) in each province to treat COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms, an official informed on Friday.



"We have prepared centralized isolation in each province for people who are exposed to COVID-19 with mild to moderate symptoms," Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Suharyanto said.



The government is also advising asymptomatic patients to undergo self-isolation and offering them medical support, he added.



The mortality rate from the Omicron variant has not been as severe as the Delta peak in mid-2021, he noted. However, the Omicron variant still has the potential to cause death in patients who have comorbidities, have not been vaccinated, and the elderly group, Suharyanto cautioned.



"This vulnerable group experienced the most fatalities when exposed to Omicron," he informed.


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Suharyanto said that currently, the majority of people have been vaccinated, with first dose coverage reaching 90 percent and second dose coverage 66 percent. Among the elderly, the vaccination coverage has reached 74 percent for the first dose and 51 percent for the second dose, he added.



"Vaccination is able to reduce the patient's severity. We urge people who have not been vaccinated to immediately complete the vaccine dose, including the third dose," he said.



These efforts are being made to reduce the burden on hospitals handling COVID-19 cases, Suharyanto explained. The government is urging hospitals to prioritize treating COVID-19 patients with severe to critical symptoms as well as those with comorbidities or requiring special treatment, he said.


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The government is also providing telemedicine services to accommodate the needs of self-isolating patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, he added.



He said the government has learned a lot about dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years, especially during the peak of the Delta variant.


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The health facilities are improving and are prepared to handle an increase in the occupancy rate, he affirmed.



"We are much better prepared at handling the current pandemic," he remarked.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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