Fajarasia.co – The World Health Organization (WHO) or the World Health Organization said that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is now in sight, although efforts to deal with this virus still need to be intensified. The Chairperson of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the public to remain vigilant considering the condition of the Covid-19 pandemic is still full of uncertainty.
“We are grateful that the current condition of the Covid-19 pandemic has improved, including in Indonesia. But we must not be complacent, we must remain vigilant in dealing with Covid-19 because the pandemic situation is difficult to predict,” said Puan, Friday (16/9/2022).
The first woman to serve as Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives said that the successful handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia should not let all parties off guard. According to him, efforts to handle Covid-19 cannot be relaxed to anticipate various possibilities.
“Let’s not let our guard down. That the situation is now better than before is true. But we must not be complacent, and must always be ready to face the worst situation,” he said.
The WHO noted that the global Covid-19 death toll fell by 22% in the past week and made it the lowest since the pandemic hit the world in March 2022. The number of Covid-19 cases has also fallen in recent weeks.
Although the condition of the Covid-19 pandemic is improving, Puan reminded that there is still the possibility of the emergence of new variants. Even though the current wave of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in Indonesia is not as powerful as the previous Corona wave, it is not impossible that there will be another spike in Covid-19 cases.
“So we must continue to be disciplined in implementing health protocols. Try to continue to live a healthy life, in order to take care of loved ones,” said Puan.
On the other hand, the Government is also asked to continue to increase the achievement of Covid-19 vaccination, including the third or booster dose. Puan then highlighted the implementation of booster vaccination which has recently declined.
“The booster vaccine must be accelerated so that the target of achieving the third dose of 100 million doses of vaccination by the end of 2022 can be realized,” said the former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture.
Puan also said that the DPR supports the government which is committed to using domestically made Covid-19 vaccines, namely Indovac and the Merah Putih Inavac vaccine to be used as booster vaccines. It is estimated that the permit for emergency use of the two types of vaccines will be issued in the near future.
“By using vaccines made by the nation’s children, it means that we also support the national vaccine industry. The DPR fully supports it,” said Puan.
Until the end of August 2022, the third dose or booster vaccination in Indonesia has only targeted 62.1 million people or 23 percent of the total population in Indonesia. Puan asked the government to increase cooperation with various agencies and community groups to accelerate the booster vaccination target.
“Based on various studies, booster vaccination is effective in protecting residents from the severity and death of Covid-19, including for the elderly. Booster vaccinations must be boosted so that the immunity level of the community is maintained,” said the grandson of the Indonesian Proclaimer Bung Karno.
Furthermore, Puan stated that the DPR will continue to oversee the handling of Covid-19 carried out by the Government. He ensured that the DPR always provides convenience in the policies issued by the Government as long as they are for the good and welfare of the people.
“The DPR will also support various infrastructure preparations in order to enter the Covid-19 endemic. Rest assured, Indonesia will soon reap the results of all the hard work and joint work in an effort to deal with the pandemic,” concluded Puan.****
