"In ASEAN countries, we see a slight increase. To this end, Indonesia must be vigilant," he said in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday.
He highlighted that the current trend in infections is driven by sub-variants that are not considered to be deadly.
He emphasized the importance of implementing health protocols, such as wearing masks and washing hands, especially in an environment that shows increasing respiratory cases.
The minister stated that Omicron sub-variants are currently dominant in Indonesia. These tend to cause weaker symptoms, especially in those who have been vaccinated, he added.
He further said that though there has been a slight increase in cases in ASEAN countries, the situation in Indonesia is still relatively safe, with no concerning increase in infections.
"The increase that we detected is still within the safe limit, still hundreds of cases. The positivity rate is still below 1 percent," he added.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health announced that it has readied health facilities to anticipate a potential increase in COVID-19 infections.
Head of the ministry's public communication and information bureau, Aji Muhawarman, said in Jakarta on June 4, that health facilities have been readied following the issuance of a circular on COVID-19 monitoring.
He informed that the circular was sent to health facilities and stakeholders, urging them to track the situation and stay updated on global trends in COVID-19 cases through the official government and World Health Organization websites.
Health facilities were also urged to step up vigilance by monitoring and verifying trends in influenza-like illness (ILI), severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), pneumonia, and COVID-19 cases through the Early Alertness and Response System.
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Translator: Rubby Jovan, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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