Indonesia has actually seen a constant decrease in the variety of confirmed COVID-19 cases recently thanks to the enforcement of strict public activity restrictions (PPKM), in Java and Bali Islands in specific, because July 3, 2021.
The authorities have likewise carried out huge efforts to take on the COVID-19 pandemic through increased screening, close-contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine as well as enforcement of health protocols to break the chain of infection transmission.
After almost 2 months of implementing the semi-lockdown, the country taped 5,436 new cases on August 30, 2021, bringing the total COVID-19 tally to 4,079,267, while the daily deaths stood at 568, taking the death toll to 132,491
The figures revealed a sharp decline compared to 56,757 fresh verified cases taped on July 15, 2021, as Indonesia’s everyday COVID-19 cases struck a record due to the development of the Delta variant of COVID-19 The highest daily deaths were recorded at 2,069 on July 27, 2021.
In spite of the decrease in new cases, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on August 30, 2021, announced that when again PPKM would be extended until September 6, 2021.
Several regions have seen improvement in COVID-19 handling, hence the government has reduced the PPKM level from 4 to 3 for Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), Surabaya, Bandung, Malang, and Solo, while Semarang’s level has been decreased to 2.
In general, the COVID-19 handling in Java and Bali has actually revealed enhancement, for this reason the federal government will loosen up PPKM in phases, the President stated.
In spite of the relaxation of the PPKM execution, the public has actually been informed to stay alert and abide by the health protocols, including wearing face masks and keeping a safe distance.
6 Indonesian provinces, however, have actually been asked to stay alert for the Delta variation, which is very contagious and fatal, by intensifying screening and tracing abilities.
The six provinces with the highest occurrence of the Delta variant are Aceh, North Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and Central Sulawesi, according to the ministry’s spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination, Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi.
In Jakarta, the federal government has started to enable schools and locations of praise in green zones to resume, with presence topped at 50 percent. Jakarta Guv Anies Baswedan has claimed that a minimum of 85 percent of teachers have been inoculated, while the staying 15 percent of teachers have comorbidities.
Considering vaccination the secret to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, the government is identified to accelerate the execution of the vaccination drive throughout the nation, with health care workers provided top priority in the program, which was rolled out on January 13, 2021, by generally utilizing CoronaVac bought from China’s Sinovac pharmaceutical business.
Out of the total population of over 270 million, the government is intending to immunize 208 million Indonesians to construct herd resistance versus the infection.
According to the COVID-19 Reaction Job Force, an overall of 34,702,821 Indonesians have actually received their 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dosage since August 28, 2021, while the variety of Indonesians receiving their first COVID-19 jab has actually reached 61,222,258
As of August 23, 2021, Indonesia has protected materials of about 130 million dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine. And the government has so far distributed at least 4.8 million doses of CoronaVac purchased from Sinovac, 85.9 million dosages of Sinovac vaccine produced by Bandung-based Bio Farma, 1.5 million dosages of the Pfizer vaccine, 15.9 million dosages of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 7.5 million dosages of the Moderna vaccine, and 499,886 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to areas across Indonesia.
In August 2021 alone, the country is expected to receive some 70 million doses, and in December, the number is expected to increase to 80 million doses, which will help fulfill the target of vaccinating 2 million people a day.
Indonesia currently has six brands of vaccines available in the nation, with five being produced by foreign manufacturers and one made domestically. The vaccines comprise CoronaVac, Moderna, Sinopharm, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, as well as Bio Farma’s vaccine that has actually been produced under a collaboration with Sinovac.
Moderna, which was donated by the US federal government through the COVAX Center, has been partially offered to fully immunized health care employees as a 3rd or booster vaccine.
Pfizer is the latest brand to arrive in Indonesia, with 1.5 countless the 50 million dosages ordered reaching the nation on August 19, 2021.
In the meantime, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia (UI), Pandu Riono, has reminded that herd resistance versus COVID-19 can only be accomplished if the efficiency of vaccines is above 80 percent.
Herd immunity would be challenging to attain if the vaccines being used only have an effectiveness of 55 to 60 percent, he said.
Moreover, the coronavirus has continued to mutate, he kept in mind. The Delta variation is able to decrease the effectiveness of vaccines, including those with the greatest effectiveness in the world, he included.
It will be difficult to accomplish herd immunity, however still, vaccines are necessary since they could reduce mortality and the severity of cases, he added.
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