Regions at Greater Risk, Accelerate Vaccinations

Areas outside Java could be more at risk with the spread of the Omicron variant, mainly due to limited vaccinations and health facilities. The government was asked to speed up vaccination.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Rapid test facilities provided at a hotel in Batu City, East Java, during the Coordination Meeting for the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 in East Java, on Tuesday (8/2/2022)

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have spiked and surpassed the peak of daily cases recorded during the Delta variant. The consequences will be dire if Omicron spreads across the regions because of unequal vaccine distribution and limited health facilities. The vaccine rollout needs to be accelerated, especially for indigenous people whose coverage is still low.

Emergency response head of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), Annas Radin Syarif, expressed concern over the affect of the spread of Omicron to indigenous peoples in Jakarta on Tuesday (8/2/2022). “Prior to this, the impact of the pandemic on indigenous peoples was relatively small because some communities carried out self-quarantine early on,” he said.

However, the circumstances are now different. Most communities, including indigenous peoples in several areas, have relaxed health protocols. “On the other hand, vaccinations among indigenous peoples have been limited,” he added.

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So far, vaccinations for indigenous peoples have been met with various obstacles, mainly in accepting the vaccine and limited access to vaccination sites. For one, not even 10 percent of the Baduy community in Banten, made up of about 11,000 people, has been vaccinated.

According to Annas, the Health Ministry supports the acceleration of vaccination for indigenous peoples, such as prioritizing the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for them. However, its implementation has been hampered.

Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian epidemiologist at Griffith University, said the impact of the spread of Omicron across the regions could be greater than what was faced in Jakarta and its surroundings. In addition to lower vaccination coverage and a lower number of antibodies due to previous infections, more distant regions also have limited capacities for health facilities and health officers.

Delta Surpassed

Covid-19 cases involving the Omicron variant have spiked and surpassed the peak recorded during the Delta variant. “In Bekasi, the surge is high, almost reaching the peak recorded in July 2021,” said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during an inspection of a vaccination site at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi city, West Java, this week.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Police take pictures of the queues of residents who will get vaccinated at the precision vaccine booth at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium, Bekasi City, West Java, Tuesday (8/2/2022).

The increase in Omicron cases in Jakarta, which shares a border with Bekasi, has exceeded the number of cases recorded in July 2021. Covid-19 cases in South Tangerang and Depok have also hit record highs compared to July 2021.

The Health Ministry’s report shows that the daily death toll is also increasing. On 7 Jan., 2022, the death toll stood at 5 people a day, while on Monday (7/2) and Tuesday, 82 and 83 deaths were reported, respectively. “The number of fatalities has increased more than 15 times in a month,” said Tjandra Yoga Aditama, postgraduate program director at Yarsi University.

Despite the significant spike in cases, the mortality rate and the severity of the Omicron variant is still lower. Thus, the public has been asked not to panic and to be more disciplined in complying with health protocols. “Secondly, vaccinations must be accelerated,” said Budi Gunadi.

The occupancy rate is currently 50 percent. We have also prepared 49 beds for centralized isolation.

National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the National Police were holding simultaneous vaccine rollouts in 34 regional police areas across 34 provinces. The program targets 1 million people for vaccination each day.

According to the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), Suharyanto, people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are asymptomatic are advised to undergo self-isolation so that the disease is not transmitted to other family members. “Once there are symptoms of fever, cough or a runny nose, do not panic. Immediately go to a centralized isolation facility,” he said.

Government-run centralized isolation facilities in Jakarta have a total of 16,000 beds, most of which are currently empty. These beds are spread across the Covid-19 emergency hospital at Wisma Atlet, the Pademangan quarantine compound and the Daan Mogot and Penggilingan apartment complexes.

Acting Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto also said the city now had 1,100 beds available for Covid-19 patients at hospitals in Bekasi. “The occupancy rate is currently 50 percent. We have also prepared 49 beds for centralized isolation,” he added.

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> Omicron Subvariant BA.2 More Infectious

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Separately, the Home Ministry increased the number of regions in Java and Bali that were reimposing level 3 public activity restrictions (PPKM). This was done as cases of the Omicron variant continued to increase.

The ministry’s regional administration director general, Safrizal ZA, said in a press statement that there was a significant increase in regions reimposing level 3 PPKM, from 2 regions to 41.

Meanwhile, Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd is currently developing a multivariant Covid-19 vaccine. The development of an inactivated virus-based vaccine is expected to be able to combat various variants of SARS-CoV-2. ( AIK/ OKA / PDS / IDO/ VAN/ FRN/ TAM)

This article was translated byKesya Adhalia.