"We are accelerating the vaccination process. As of today, we have reached 51 percent of completion, and we still have quite a lot of vaccines available," Koster said while attending the Plenary Session of the Bali Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) in Denpasar on Wednesday.
Furthermore, the governor revealed that the Government of Australia will help provide 200 thousand doses of rabies vaccine, half of which will arrive in Indonesia on July 1.
In addition, the central government has readied a total of 350 thousand doses of rabies vaccine for Bali, he said.
"We are aiming to achieve zero deaths due to rabies in Bali by 2024 and zero rabies cases both in humans and animals by 2028," Koster noted.
The governor further remarked that his government is currently collaborating with the apparatus of traditional villages in an effort to suppress rabies cases by providing the community with proper education regarding the disease.
Governor Koster also called on villages to make a rule to prevent their residents from abandoning their pet dogs. However, he will leave it to the villages to decide on the type of sanction to be imposed on those found violating the rule.
Earlier, on Monday (June 26), Koster remarked that the heads of the province's Agriculture Office and Health Office were working together to handle the rabies outbreak.
He also said that the provincial government was collaborating with the Health Ministry and district and municipal governments.
"The central government is supporting our efforts to accelerate rabies vaccination. Bali is being prioritized due to its status as a tourist destination," he added.
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Translator: Ni Luh Rhismawati, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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