Ministry of Health Talks About Indonesia Free from Covid-19 in 2023

Jakarta, MINA – The Ministry of Health talks about the issue and potential of Indonesia being free from transmission of the coronavirus (Covid-19) so that people will be able to return to normal life in January 2023.

The Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Ministry of Health, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said that this potential could occur only on the condition that the number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia and other countries showed a downward trend in cases and no new Covid-19 variants with higher-risk characteristics appeared.

“January next year? Yes, I hope. It really depends on the increase in cases with the presence of new sub-variants. So Indonesia can be free, yes, but other countries, if there are countries that are still high and there is a tendency for new variants, we are difficult,” said Maxi in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted from CNN Indonesia.

Maxi continued, the development of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia is still fluctuating even though the number of daily additions of Covid-19 cases is relatively small.

He is also reluctant to confirm when Indonesia will enter the endemic phase because according to him the determination of endemic status is the authority of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“The Minister said that we have prepared a transition, a transition to an endemic. If level 1 continues, it has been six months in a row, but we will increase cases again,” he said.

The development of the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 did show a downward trend in a week, although it was not significant. During the period 10-16 August, confirmed cases of Covid-19 totaled 36,551 cases. This number is higher than the Covid-19 confirmation data in the past week which recorded 31,484 Covid-19 cases.

The decline also occurred in cases of death. It was recorded that during the period of August 10-16, the cumulative number of Covid-19 deaths in a week amounted to 146 people. Meanwhile, in the period 17-23 August, the number of Covid-19 deaths decreased, although not significantly, to 143 people.

However, the decline in deaths and confirmed Covid-19 cases was also accompanied by a decrease in cumulative weekly check-ups.

During the period of August 10-16, the number of residents examined was 323,340 people with a total of 749,542 specimens examined. Furthermore, in the period 17-23 August, the number of people examined was reduced to 281,855 people with 619,180 specimens reported. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)