Day: August 1, 2021

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan visited two Sumatran tigers ( Panthera tigris sumatrae) contracting COVID-19 and undergoing isolation at the Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta.

“Yesterday, after touring six vaccination locations in Jakarta, I stopped by Ragunan (Zoo) to visit these quite unique COVID-19 patients,” Anies Baswedan wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday.

Hari and Tino, the two Sumatran tigers, were diagnosed positive for COVID-19 on 15 July.

A caretaker of the tigers in Ragunan noticed three weeks ago that Hari and Tino were sick, weak, short of breath and caught flu, which are symptoms similar to COVID-19 disease.

The zoo’s team immediately called a swab officer to take swab samples of Hari and Tino and send them to the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Primate Animal Study Center, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University).

They later took PCR tests on the animals and the results also confirmed that Hari and Tino were infected with the novel coronavirus, Hence, they must be isolated in separate cages and given adequate food and medicine during the healing process. Cases of animals affected by COVID-19, especially tigers and lions, are not unique, according to the governor.

There have been many similar cases in other countries. Of course, caring for animals contracting COVID-19 is different from caring for humans, he added.

“Hari and Tino cannot be sent for isolation to Wisma Atlet (emergency hospital for COVID-19 patients). But, they must undergo isolation and treated under close monitoring by the best veterinarians in Ragunan,” Baswedan said.

Hari and Tino are now gradually recovering and active again. However, because Jakarta is still in a Level 4 PPKM restriction measure, the zoo remains closed to the public.

“So Hari and Tino don’t have to rush back to WFO and have time to fully heal themselves,” the governor wrote.

Sumatran tigers are the smallest of all tiger subspecies and in captivity can weigh up to 140kg .

Fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers are estimated to remain in the wild in Sumatran forests.

This subspecies is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Kerinci Seblat National Park and the Ulu Masen as well as Leuser ecosystems of Aceh are global priority areas for tiger conservation.

Source: Antara News

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Health Ministry are set to provide 50 oxygen concentrators to Papua province to address a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

The 50 oxygen concentrators are expected to enable hospitals in the province to produce oxygen themselves, day-to-day chief of the Papua Provincial COVID-19 Response Task Force Welliam R. Manderi said on Sunday.

” As a follow up to the assistance of 50 oxygen concentrators, local health authorities will look at oxygen needs in each district and city,” Manderi said.

He said his side has also set up a task force which will be responsible for oxygen needs.

“To handle COVID-19 cases this year (the local government) has set aside Rp150 billion in budget fund for priority activities,” he added. The budget will be used to procure oxygen concentrators, provide isolation centers, build a COVID-19 special hospital, buy medical equipment and handle the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, he said. .

Coronavirus infections have currently spread to 18 districts and cities in the province.

Six of the affected areas are located in Papua’s mountainous regions in the districts of Jayawijaya, Lanny Jaya, Tolikara, Pegunungan Bintang, Paniai, and Puncak Jaya, Papua COVID-19 Response Task Force spokesperson Silwanus Sumule informed recent;ly.

Twelve other affected regions are Jayapura City and the districts of Jayapura, Merauke, Boven Digul, Asmat, Mappi, Mimika, Biak Numfor, Supiori, Kepulauan Yapen, Nabire, and Keerom, he said.

Amid the alarming trend in infections, the Papua administration has asked residents to brace for a month-long lockdown in August, 2021 after the micro-scale public activity restrictions (PPKM Mikro) end on July 25.

During the lockdown, all entry points to Papua would be closed to curb an exponential increase in COVID-19 infections in communities, spokesperson for the Papua governor, Muhammad Rifai Darus, said earlier.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – As many as 3.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the US Government through the COVAX Facility, arrived at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, outskirt of Jakarta, on Sunday.

“The United States has given additional support of US vaccine dose-sharing through the COVAX Facility amounting to 3.5 million doses that arrive here now,” Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said on a video statement uploaded on the Youtube channel of the Presidential Secretariat here on Sunday.

The latest arrival is the third shipment of Moderna vaccine donated by the US to Indonesia so far. The US had earlier shipped 3,000,060 doses and 1,500,100 doses respectively. to Jakarta.

“With today’s arrival, the total number of Moderna vaccine doses, which is cooperation support from the US Government through COVAX Facility, that Indonesia has received is 8,000,160 ready-to-use vaccine doses,” Marsudi said. Indonesia received the Moderna vaccine donated by the US Government through the COVAX Facility following intensive discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Adviser jack Sullivan, she added.

She expressed gratitude to the US for the assistance which is very much needed for the COVID-19 handling in Indonesia.

“I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the US Government for the additional Moderna vaccine support. Cooperation through the dose-sharing mechanism is one of the important means to help the world out of this pandemic,” Retno Marsudi said.

To date, Indonesia has received a total of 178,357,880 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, consisting of 144,700,280 doses of vaccine bulk, and 33,657,600 doses of ready-to-use vaccine.

“If we sort them out from the sources, from the COVAX Facility, Indonesia has received shipments of 19,704,960 doses of vaccines for free so far. All of them are ready-to-use vaccines,” she noted.

The government would continue to make efforts to secure the procurement of vaccines for the benefit of the Indonesian people, she remarked.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The global COVID-19 cases swelled 80 percent in the past month due to the Delta variant of coronavirus, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. quoting a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

“On July 30, 2021, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported a 89 percent surge in global (COVID-19) cases in the past four weeks due to the Delta variant,” she said in a video press conference streamed on the Presidential Secretariat’s Youtube channel on Sunday.

Many countries particularly Southeast Asian states witnessed a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, she said.

Accordingly, the global mortality rate rose 10 percent compared to a week earlier, she informed.

“On July 19-25, 2021, WHO also recorded the number of deaths at 69,000, an increase of 21 percent compared to the previous week,” he noted. The WHO director general also drew attention to the wide COVID-19 vaccination gap between advanced economies and developing nations, she said.

“The proportion of vaccine recipients against population is 84.9 percent in Europe and 82.5 percent in North America, while it stands at 4.6 percent in Africa,” she said.

Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the Southeast Asian population have been vaccinated against the COVID-19., she said.

Just in Indonesia, the number of vaccinated people reached 67,761,337 or 24.49 percent of its population. “Insya Allah (God willing), with the arrival of vaccines from various sources to Indonesia, we will be able to speed up the vaccination drive and curb the spread of COVID-19,” she said.

On Sunday Indonesia received 3.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine from the US.

Indonesia is also expected to receive 620 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK on Monday.

Overall, Indonesia has received 178,357,880 COVID-19 vaccine doses comprising . 144,700,280 doses in bulk form and 33,657,600 doses in finished form.

Source: Antara News

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) of Papua Chapter claimed it has completed the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination of athletes who will contest in the 20th National Games (PON) on October 2-15.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the vaccination of athletes is still underway, medical coordinator of KONI Papua chapter dr. Billy Heumese told ANTARA on his cellular phone on Sunday.

“The second phase of vaccination is still underway in Jayapura and training centers,” he said.

He said the KONI of Papua chapter is in the process of recapitulating the number of athletes who have received their first and second shots of COVID-19 vaccine. “Several (athletes) cannot be vaccinated as they have a history of disease and are in the process of recovering,” he said.

Some of them also have not met requirements to get vaccinated because of comorbidity. Therefore, they had to receive medical treatment first, he said.

“We have set ourselves the target of vaccinating host athletes before the PON National Games,” he said.

The PON National Games will be held in Jayapura City and the districts of Jayapura, Mimika, and Merauke on Oct 2-15, while the subsequent Paralympic Games (Peparnas) will be held on Nov 2-15. At least 6,400 athletes and 3,500 officials from 34 provinces across Indonesia are expected to participate in Papua’s PON National Games that will feature 37 events.

Meanwhile, 1,935 athletes and 740 officials will take part in the National Para Games in Jayapura City and Jayapura District, which will feature 12 events.

To ensure the safety of athletes and officials participating in the PON National Games and National Para Games, President Joko Widodo has urged the concerned agencies to inoculate all athletes.

The head of state has also instructed that local residents living in proximity to all venues of the sporting events and athletes’ villages be vaccinated, according to Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali.

Source: Antara News