Our herd immunity is good, and our health protocol is relatively stricter.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urged all parties to strengthen the implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) and health protocols, as the XBB variant of the COVID-19 had been detected in Indonesia.

"Currently, the number of cases in Singapore has increased again to six thousand per day because of the new variant, XBB. This variant was also detected in Indonesia, and we are monitoring it," he stated at a virtual event titled "Government’s Work Achievement in 2022" on Friday.

The minister emphasized that Indonesia has not been safe from the COVID-19 pandemic, as mutations of the virus may likely occur in future, although currently, Indonesia has managed to handle the pandemic better than when the outbreak began in early 2020 and when the Delta variant started to spread in July 2021.

Moreover, in July and August 2022, Indonesia was one of the only few countries, along with India and China, whose increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases was quite small, the minister noted.

He recalled that Indonesia also did not experience a spike in the number of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron cases when it occurred in several other countries.

The minister noted that Indonesia is one of the countries that still adhered to the health protocols, as the government still necessitates the community to wear masks in public transportation and closed public spaces, while several other countries have revoked the implementation of health protocols.

In addition, the Indonesian government has administered 440 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to over 240 million citizens.

"Our herd immunity is good, and our health protocols are relatively stricter," Sadikin remarked.

In Indonesia, currently, the number of patients admitted to the hospital has declined to only around 3,100 people, from 100 thousand people prior. The mortality rate has also reduced, from 1,800 people to 17-19 people per day.

"However, the challenge (on whether the number of the cases will spike or not) will come later at the beginning of the (new) year (2023)," the minister noted.

The increase in the number of cases is forecast to occur during the January-February 2023 period due to the new mutation.

"Participation from all parties is needed to be disciplined in (conducting the) health protocols of wearing masks, washing hands, keeping our (physical) distance, and getting booster vaccination," Sadikin stated.

In addition to Singapore, the XBB variants had caused a spike in cases in India and Australia.

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Translator: Hreeloita Shanti, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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