Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has reached a decision regarding the newest policy on the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting to endemic status in Indonesia and will announce it later, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has informed.

He conveyed the statement after attending a limited meeting on the pandemic status in Indonesia at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"Later, the President will announce it. It is up to him," he stated.

According to him, at the limited meeting, he briefed the President about the current pandemic situation in the country as well as in other G20 and ASEAN countries. Alternative policies that can be implemented were also discussed at the meeting, he added.

The minister also reported on his meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) last month regarding the transition from the pandemic in Indonesia.

Sadikin informed that the WHO lauded Indonesia, which has handled the COVID-19 pandemic well and has been one of the few countries that have consulted it about the definition of the pandemic.

The WHO has also provided guidelines for the community, prescribing compliance with the health protocols, the implementation of surveillance systems, and the conduct of early detection against the virus.

The meeting with the WHO became the basis for President Widodo to make a decision regarding the implementation of the endemic status in Indonesia.

"He has made a decision, but the announcement is up to him," the minister remarked.

COVID-19 was first declared as a global pandemic by the WHO in March 2020.

The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of June 13, 2023, the nation has recorded a total of 6,810,417 COVID-19 cases, 6,638,544 recoveries, and 161,830 deaths.


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Translator: Mentari Dwi, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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