The application, launched in March 2020, was originally created to track down close contacts of people affected by COVID-19.
With a simple goal, PeduliLindungi aims to help citizens check whether they had come in direct or close contact with people confirmed positive or are suspected cases.
The application, developed by the Ministry of Health along with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN), and the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry, aims to suppress the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Nevertheless, the PeduliLindungi developer continues to update this application in keeping with the needs of the community until now, thereby making the application a health documentation map.
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In the application, the public can access their COVID-19 vaccination certificates, screening features, consultation via telemedicine, and close contact tracing via Sijejak using Bluetooth.
Public places, such as malls, offices, markets, places of worship, and modes of transportation, have been using the application to help the country curb the spread of virus transmission.
The application has been running and protecting the community for 2.5 years. Now, the application has a bigger responsibility. PeduliLindungi will be used at the global-scale event -- the G20 Summit -- in Bali on November.
The G20 is a multilateral cooperation forum comprising 19 major countries and the European Union (EU). The G20 represents more than 60 percent of the world's population, 75 percent of global trade, and 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).
The G20 members comprise South Africa, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, France, China, Turkey, and the European Union.
As the holder of the G20 Presidency this year, Indonesia encourages the use of PeduliLindungi to be applied by all parties participating in the event, including delegates and guests.
The application will monitor the people’s movement during the event, especially to tackle the spread of Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
Indonesian spokesperson for G20 Siti Nadia Tarmizi stated that the government was serious in formulating policies to save patients and people infected by COVID-19.
“One life is very precious. Although the Omicron mortality rate is much lower, we should be taking it seriously,” she emphasized.
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Healthy and Protected G20
While given the responsibility to oversee the health of all parties at the global level in the G20 Summit, PeduliLindungi will also function as a health passport through the Electronic-Health Alert Card (EHAC) feature that can show the user's travel history.
According to Chief of the Digital Transformation Office of the Ministry of Health, Setiaji, foreign nationals, such as the G20 delegates, can easily input data related to the travel requirements set by the Indonesian government due to the assistance in adding various language features for users.
PeduliLindungi continues to improve the convenience of its users by providing 14 languages, including Indonesian, English, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Korean, and Spanish.
The developer also plans to add Portuguese, German, Italian, and Turkish. The addition of several languages will help users in using the various offered features.
Moreover, PeduliLindungi, along with Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) made by Singapore, will support each other in the application of strict health protocols.
Through the expansion of the use of the language, overseas vaccination certificates can be submitted, verified, and accessed through the PeduliLindungi application. Earlier, foreign users had to enter it into a separate site.
As a form of synchronization between PeduliLindungi and VTL to avoid any positive cases escaping surveillance, the government urges delegates to scan the QR code at the event.
Scanning the QR Code is mandatory to prove the delegates have received a full dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Every development in the application is ensured to follow a circular issued by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.
If the G20 participants have not verified their data at the application, the port health office (KKP) officers at the airports will input their data.
QR codes can be found at every venue for the G20 events, such as in hotels, public spaces, or tourist attractions visited by delegates.
During the implementation, the use of the application is also intended for all non-VVIP group participants of the G20.
The delegates’ data is ensured to be safe from any leakage since the application has been registered as a Public Electronic System Operator, which by being registered, thereby proving that the application has fulfilled data security requirements.
The application uses a protected National Data Center, applies layered security, and is regularly monitored by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency.
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Discipline to implement health protocols
Regarding the health protocols implemented during the G20, the Ministry of Health ensures that delegates of the G20 summit will receive health services of the maximum standard.
However, delegates are expected to comply with the rules by taking the full dose of vaccination and checking their body temperature and COVID-19 symptoms at the airport.
"Delegates are also expected to have health insurance or travel insurance that guarantees treatment in hospitals, including COVID-19," Indonesian Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono, noted.
He remarked that VVIP guests must perform RT-PCR test 1x24 hours before the activity, while other delegates will be provided with an antigen test at the venue.
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Apart from the PeduliLindungi application, the Indonesian government will also provide mini ICUs, clinics, and mobile doctors, such as cardiologists, internists, anesthesiologists, general practitioners, and ICU nurses.
The Ministry of Health also provides at least two advanced high roof and long chassis ambulances with emergency equipment, mobile ventilators, bedside monitors, defibrillators/AEDs, syringe pumps, infusion pumps, oxygen tubes, and emergency medicines.
PeduliLindungi has made every effort to urge the people to comply with health protocols, including for foreign visitors, such as G20 delegates. Hence, it is the Indonesians’ turn to strengthen their efforts to protect others by complying with policies related to COVID-19.
Indonesia’s Presidency at the G20 is a momentum to prove to the world that the country is not only safe and comfortable for people to live side by side with COVID-19 but also a nation that is the most disciplined in implementing health protocols.
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Reporter: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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