"I support the decision to revoke the COVID-19 pandemic emergency status in the country because it was taken based on the consideration that the number of (daily) confirmed cases of COVID-19 is close to zero," Soesatyo noted in his official statement on Thursday.
Nevertheless, Soesatyo urged the government to stay alert and continue to monitor COVID-19 transmission or active cases in the country.
He also called on the government to continue to appeal to the community to remain alert and implement a clean and healthy lifestyle.
Furthermore, he appealed to the government to implement new policies and regulations for the endemic phase in stages.
He noted that health protocols, especially wearing masks, should continue to be implemented, and vaccination requirements for entering public spaces or using public transportation should be imposed.
He encouraged members of the community to increase their awareness to continue wearing masks in public spaces, especially for those who are ill or can potentially transmit diseases.
"Thus, with good cooperation between the government and the community, it is expected that COVID-19 cases in the country can reach zero," he remarked.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday (June 21), officially declared the revocation of the COVID-19 pandemic status and that Indonesia is transitioning to the COVID-19 endemic phase.
The decision was made on the basis of the fact that currently, the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Indonesia was close to zero.
The president also stated that serosurvey results had shown that 99 percent of the Indonesian population already had COVID-19 antibodies.
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 21, 2023, the nation had recorded a total of 6,811,444 COVID-19 cases, 6,640,216 recoveries, and 161,853 deaths.
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Translator: Fath Putra, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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