We choose the Pelindo office because it is located in a densely populated area, and it functions as an entry and exit point for travelers
Maumere, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The El Tari Air Force Base authority in Maumere, Sikka District, East Nusa Tenggara Province, held a vaccination drive on Thursday to help 400 local residents get vaccinated ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday season.

The vaccination drive organized to commemorate the Indonesian Air Force's (TNI's) 76th anniversary took place at the office of state-owned port operator PT Pelindo.

"We choose the Pelindo office because it is located in a densely populated area, and it functions as an entry and exit point for travelers," Head of the Air Force Base-Maumere Office 2nd Lt. Kes Wismoyo stated.

Some 400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been provided to those in need of the first, second, or booster shots, he remarked, adding that the vaccination drive commenced at 8 a.m. local time.


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Local residents demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm as several of them queued up for the shots, he stated.

In addition to the vaccination program, the commemoration of TNI's 76th anniversary was marked by the distribution of staple food packages and raising public awareness of the importance of aerospace at local schools.

Indonesia has been struggling to fight against the novel coronavirus disease since March 2020.

To contain the infections, the Indonesian government has rolled out a nationwide vaccination program since January 13, 2021.

According to the Health Ministry, it took about 15 months to vaccinate about 181.5 million people, including 1.3 million paramedics and 17.4 million public sector workers, in 34 provinces under the national vaccination program.


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Thanks to the hard work of the government and all related stakeholders, Indonesia ranked among five countries worldwide to have successfully handled the COVID-19 pandemic at level 1.

Ahead of the Eid homecoming exodus, in which 85.5 million citizens can join according to the Transportation Ministry, the government has intensified a booster vaccine program.

To this end, spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Wiku Adisasmito appealed to people to get the COVID-19 booster vaccine before participating in the Eid al-Fitr homecoming exodus.

"The government continues to appeal to people to get vaccinated far before the departure," he stated at a press conference regarding Indonesia's COVID-19 handling development that ANTARA accessed on Tuesday.


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Translator: FM Nuka, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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