"This year, we are trying to (go) back to normalcy like before. However, the health protocols must continue to be maintained," he said during an FMB9 online discussion on worship and food preparation during Ramadan, which was accessed from here on Monday.
People's activities tend to increase during Ramadan, he noted. Thus, the risk of transmission can be higher, and the key to avoiding infection spread is following the health protocols, he pointed out.
He said positive cases and deaths from COVID-19 have continued to decline in recent weeks.
Based on the task force’s data, the average number of positive cases is currently around 3 thousand per day. The figure is different from the peak of cases on February 16, 2022, which was recorded at 64 thousand.
Therefore, he said, it is the responsibility of all parties to keep the figure from increasing again, namely by complying with the health protocols.
He stressed that regional governments must also continue to monitor the situation in their regions, especially those with dense populations and high mobility.
Regional governments are obliged to take anticipatory measures against a surge in cases by continuing to raise awareness and carrying out policy education.
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Earlier, President Joko Widodo had emphasized that people can join the 2022 Eid al-Fitr mudik (exodus) if they have completed the primary vaccination and received the booster dose against COVID-19.
The President also said that every exodus activity must be accompanied by the implementation of strict COVID-19 health protocols.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of March 28, 2022, Indonesia has recorded 6,001,751 COVID-19 cases, 5,724,963 recoveries, and 154,774 deaths.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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