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THE INDONESIA’s Ministry of Transportation stated that there are no provisions governing travel or movement of people during the Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 holidays even though COVID-19 cases in Indonesia have increased again.
“At the moment there are none. Everything is still in the form of an advisory, there are no mandatory protocols for travelers,” said Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Adita Irawati at a press conference for preparations for Christmas and New Year in Jakarta, Monday (12/11), 2023.
Adita said, regarding travel provisions or conditions related to COVID-19, the Ministry of Transportation is guided by related Ministries/Institutions such as the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.
Currently, there are no specific instructions or directions for community movement during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The Ministry of Health noted that daily COVID-19 cases in Indonesia increased by 35-40 cases as of December 6 2023, with the number of patients being treated in hospital recorded at 60-131 people. This situation has led to a current hospital occupancy rate of 0.06 percent and a death rate of 0-3 cases per day.
This increase in cases is dominated by the Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant which is also the cause of the wave of COVID-19 infections in Europe and the United States. In addition, subvariants EG2 and EG5 were also detected.
Even though there is an increase, cases are still much lower than during the pandemic, which reached 50,000-400,000 cases per week.
In DKI Jakarta, 80 positive cases of COVID-19 were recorded between 27 November to 3 December 2023. Of these 80 cases, 90 percent had mild symptoms, while the remaining 10 percent had moderate symptoms and were undergoing treatment in hospital.
Meanwhile, the Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi appealed to the public to return to the discipline of wearing masks following the discovery of pneumonia cases in DKI Jakarta.
The Ministry of Health also conveyed eight WHO recommendations to the public to prevent the transmission of mycoplasma pneumonia. The first is a recommendation for vaccines against influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens if needed.
Second, namely keeping your distance from sick people. Third, stay at home and do not travel when sick or self-isolate. Fourth, undergo tests and medical treatment as needed, and fifth, wear a mask as appropriate.
“Sixth, ensuring good ventilation, and seventh, implementing clean and healthy living habits (PHBS) such as washing hands using antiseptic soap and running water,” he said.
Finally, he also emphasized that people should immediately go to the nearest health service facility (fasyankes) if they experience signs or symptoms of pneumonia such as coughing or difficulty breathing accompanied by fever. [antaranews]
