Indonesia Anticipated Third COVID-19's Spike: President

TheIndonesia.id - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the government anticipated the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

"The government has predicted and anticipated this surge by making far better preparations than in the previous years," he remarked in a statement broadcast from Medan, North Sumatra, on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

The head of state made the remarks in response to the latest developments in COVID-19 cases. Indonesia added 27,197 COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday, bringing the total tally since the start of the pandemic to 4,414,483, as per official data.

To face the current surge in COVID-19 case, Indonesia is more prepared in terms of hospitals, medicines, oxygen, isolation facilities, and healthcare workers, Widodo said. The number of hospital beds is adequate, he noted.

Therefore, people must remain calm, he said. "Admittedly, this Omicron variant has a high transmission rate. But, its fatality rate is lower than that of the Delta variant. This is evident from the COVID-19 cases in several countries where the hospital occupancy rate is relatively low," he noted.

The same is true with Indonesia, where the hospital occupancy rate is still under control despite the current spike in COVID-19 cases, he said.

Individuals who are exposed to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 can recover without having to go to the hospital, he noted. It is enough for them to self-isolate at home, take medicines and multi-vitamins, and undergo a repeat test after five days, he added.

"I remind the public to stay calm in facing various variants of COVID-19," he said.

In addition, people must stay disciplined in following the health protocols and reduce unnecessary activities, he added.

"Those who have not been vaccinated should be vaccinated soon. Those who have been fully vaccinated should receive booster shots soon," he said.

Earlier, the President had directed ministers to evaluate the level of community activity restrictions (PPKM) across Indonesia in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 positive cases in the country.

"I have told the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs as the PPKM coordinator for Java-Bali regions and the Coordinating Minister for Economy as the PPKM coordinator for regions outside Java-Bali to immediately evaluate the PPKM level," he said in Medan city,

According to the COVID-19 Task Force, as of February 3, 2022, the country has recorded 115,275 active COVID-19 cases, 5,993 additional recoveries, and 38 additional deaths.

In addition, the government has administered 185,622,566 first dose vaccinations, 29,405,527 second dose vaccinations, and 4,799,946 third dose vaccinations.