Day: November 11, 2021

Posted on

Elderly vaccination coverage low due to hoaxes: Health Ministry

The low vaccination coverage among the elderly can mostly be attributed to hoaxes, Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccinations for the Health Ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi said at the online Merdeka Barat Forum on Thursday.

“False information saying that elderly with comorbidities should not get vaccinated because they will experience unpleasant side effects has made them hesitant to get vaccinated,” she remarked.

In fact, people over the age of 59 are at a bigger risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms or even death if they are not vaccinated, she cautioned.

Just 43 percent or around 9.3 million people out of the 21.5 million targeted elderly recipients have received the first vaccine shot, the spokesperson informed.

Meanwhile, the government has guaranteed the availability of vaccines for the elderly since they have become priority recipients, Tarmizi said.

Vaccinations for the elderly have been implemented since March 2021, while younger citizens have not had access to vaccinations yet, she noted.

“Hence, we carried out a number of innovations. For instance, if a younger person took two elderly people to get vaccinated, the young person could also be vaccinated,” Tarmizi disclosed.

Furthermore, only Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta, and Riau Islands provinces have administered the first COVID-19 jab to 50 percent of their elderly population, she added.

Meanwhile, in other provinces, the first dose coverage among the elderly has reached just 30 percent of the target, she informed adding, there are also areas where the vaccine coverage is even lower.

“In Aceh, West Sumatra, and Papua provinces, the vaccination rate for the elderly is very low — still under 20 percent,” the spokesperson noted.

She then expressed the hope that the first dose vaccination for the elderly would be completed by the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dirga Sakti Rambe, an internist, said that the elderly needed to be convinced by their own friends that the COVID-19 vaccine is not dangerous, including for those suffering from chronic diseases.

“People with any disease, including chronic ones — for instance diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer — can be vaccinated as long as their condition is under control,” he emphasized.

Hence, he urged the elderly to regularly visit the doctor. If they have no significant complaints and the doctor has issued a letter of recommendation, the elderly can get vaccinated, he said.

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Police outline traffic adjustments for Mandalika racing events

Several traffic adjustments will be implemented during the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) and World Superbike (WSBK) at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Police have said.

“There are two entrances to the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) – the East and West routes,” Head of the provincial police’s Traffic Directorate Senior Commissioner Djoni Widodo said here on Thursday.

The East route goes through the Lombok International Airport (BIL)–Mandalika Bypass, while the West route goes through the Surfing Mong roundabout, he said.

From the entrance, the visitors will be directed to their respective parking areas, he informed.

The West parking lot lies near the Nurul Bilad Mandalika Mosque, whilst the East one is located on a 17-hectare land, with a capacity of 13,600 parking spaces, he said.

“The parking areas are also the location for validating the spectators’ tickets and checking their vaccination certificates — through the PeduliLindungi app — and COVID-19 PCR test results,” Widodo informed.

The organizers have arranged a number of buses that will escort visitors from the parking area to the circuit area, according to the color of the bracelet given to them after ticket-checking, he said.

“The capacity of the buses will be limited to 70 percent of the total passengers as it is important to keep maintaining the health protocols,” Widodo remarked.

The buses will enter the circuit area through three gates to avoid any jam, he informed.

However, a jam more likely will occur when a race ends as all spectators may leave the circuit area at the same time, he noted.

Hence, police are planning to only open one exit route and temporarily close one of the entrance routes alternately, he said.

“We will apply the one-way system. We will close one of the entry routes and open the other one alternately every one hour. Still, it is situational” he explained.

In implementing the traffic adjustment, he assured that police will coordinate thoroughly with the Transportation Office.

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Teach children to lead clean, healthy lifestyle: Ministry

Parents are expected to actively involve their children to implement a clean and healthy lifestyle (PHBS) and to become quality students and the nation’s next generation as targeted by the government.

The mission was conveyed by the Education Ministry’s Director of Elementary School Sri Wahyuningsih, who expressed belief that parents should play an active role in fulfilling their responsibilities to maintain their child’s physical and mental health.

“Our young people must be diligent to exercise. Do not lie around too much,” Wahyuningsih stressed at a virtual press conference here on Thursday.

According to Wahyuningsih, leading a healthy lifestyle can make students productive.

Since almost all activities are conducted through a laptop screen, she advised students to engage in some physical activity.

According to Wahyuningsih, children should lead a balanced life by incorporating active or light exercises into their daily routine. Parents should pay attention to strike a balance in terms of the children’s health, she noted.

She believes that applying PHBS early on can certainly improve the quality of life of the nation’s successors at the elementary school level.

In addition to preparing exercises, parents must also consider teaching their children to opt for healthy and nutritious foods.

They should responsibly teach their children to opt for foods rich in fiber and vitamins over those that are high in sugar, salt, and fats.

“With the right nutritional intake and proper exercise, Indonesia becomes strong and healthy. Thus, it starts through community movements initiated and done at the school level,” Wahyuningsih noted.

She assessed that physical activity and balanced nutritional intake can enhance the mental fortitude and creativity of Indonesian students, thereby honing their physical and intellectual skills.

Moreover, through proper education, Indonesian students can meet the targets of top human resources and accelerate the country’s advancement to create Golden Indonesia 2045.

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Yogyakarta schools asked to limit daily offline learning to 2.5 hours

Head of the Yogyakarta City Education, Youth, and Sports Service, Budhi Asrori, has asked schools to reduce the duration of face-to-face learning (PTM) to a maximum of 2.5 hours from three hours previously.

“The duration of face-to-face learning at schools in Yogyakarta may vary, but none of them is more than three hours per day,” Asrori said on Thursday.

However, the schools must comply with the regulation that limits PTM to a maximum of 2.5 hours per day, he added.

“The duration of face-to-face learning in schools is ranging from 1.5 hours, two hours, 2.5 hours, and some have three hours, depending on the condition of each school,” Asrori noted.

Besides setting the maximum duration for face-to-face learning in schools, students’ PTM schedules are also being arranged, he said.

“Students only come (to school) two or three days a week,” he emphasized.

He also assured that school supervisors are continuing to monitor schools holding face-to-face learning. So far, no school has violated the standard health protocols, he informed.

“During the two months of conducting face-to-face learning, all schools have continued to implement strict health protocols properly,” Asrori said.

Currently, several elementary schools, especially private schools, have begun limited face-to-face learning for students in grades 1–4, he said. Earlier, PTM in elementary schools was only allowed for grade 5 and 6 students, he added.

“The action is taken based on parents’ aspirations since online learning has been going on for quite a long time and COVID-19 cases in Yogyakarta are decreasing,” he said.

However, Asrori assured that the duration of PTM for students in grades 1–4 is limited to no more than 3 hours every day.

Earlier, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan HB X had asked that face-to-face learning in schools be held for a maximum of 2.5 hours per day.

The policy was promulgated as an effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission after a series of COVID-19 cases emerged in schools in one of Yogyakarta’s districts.

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Mukomuko records 50-percent drop in rabies bite cases

Four people fell victim to rabies after being bitten by several animals that most commonly carry rabies in October 2021, a 50-percent drop, from eight in September, according to the Mukomuko district health office in Bengkulu.

“These cases of rabies bites from animals, such as dogs, cats, and monkeys, in the area are declining because residents have become more vigilant to avoid these animal attacks,” Mukomuko district health office’s rabies program manager, Bara Lendra, noted in a statement in Mukomuko on Thursday.

His team reported that out of the four local residents, who fell victim to rabies after being bitten, two were due to dog bites and the rest contracted the disease after being bitten by cats.

Lendra noted the four rabid animals were dogs and cats that were kept as pets by local residents.

Nevertheless, he ensured that most of the pets that bit humans and the community pets had received vaccines from related agencies to prevent them from contracting rabies.

Moreover, Lendra reminded that all local residents that fell victim to rabies after being bitten by the animals in the region had received the anti-rabies vaccine (VAR).

“Although the animals are not exposed to rabies, the residents, who were bitten, were still inoculated with the vaccine,” he pointed out.

Lendra remarked that the VAR is a precautionary measure to safeguard victims from contracting the disease.

Residents bitten by animals can obtain VAR for free, though they must fulfill the requirements, such as a certificate from the village head that is recognized by the subdistrict head in addition to a referral letter from the local health center.

Furthermore, Lendra advised local residents to be aware of animals, both pets and wild animals, especially since they live around the neighborhood. (

Source: Antara News

Posted on

Ministry expedites repair of damaged infrastructure in flood-hit Batu

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing is making efforts to expedite the repair of infrastructure damaged by flash floods that hit Batu City in East Java on November 4, 2021.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono stated in Batu City on Thursday that flooding had caused damage to infrastructure, such as bridges and tap water pipelines, in Batu.

“Several bridges will be repaired, and we will expand a small bridge,” Hadimuljono added.

The minister noted that the government will also work on expanding the width of the culverts to ease the flow of water heading to Brantas River.

He remarked that infrastructure repair will be conducted on the water pipelines owned by the regional tap water company (PDAM) that was damaged by flash floods.

“In collaboration with PDAM, the tap water pipes will also be repaired and restored. I will prepare the pipes and send them to PDAM to be fixed immediately,” he explained.

In addition to infrastructure repair, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing has deployed heavy equipment to help clear up the material left over after the flash floods.

Hadimuljono attributed clogged waterways when water discharge increased following heavy rains as the main cause for the flash floods that had claimed seven lives in Batu as well as the floods that struck other areas.

“The water discharge got higher until it broke, thereby causing a flash flood. Everywhere flash floods occurred, with the reason being the same, as in North Sumatra and so on,” he expounded.

Flash floods in the Batu city area on November 4, 2021, that claimed seven lives resulted in damage to 51 houses and 57 vehicles as well as led to 32 houses being swamped by mud.

Source: Antara News

Posted on

President to install Andika Perkasa as TNI Commander next week

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said he will install General Andika Perkasa as the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander next week or the third week of November 2021.

The President said that he is considering a good day for installing General Perkasa in place of Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who retires this year.

“The TNI Commander inauguration will be held next week, Insya Allah (God’s will), the good day is still being considered,” Widodo said after attending the 10th anniversary of the National Democratic (NasDem) Party at the NasDem’s State Defense Academy here on Thursday.

Perkasa’s appointment as the TNI Commander was approved during the House of Representatives’ plenary meeting on Monday (November 8, 2021), or two days after he passed the fit-and-proper test of Commission I of the House of Representatives on Saturday (November 6, 2021).

Perkasa earlier served as the Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) and also held important positions in the military such as the Army Strategic Reserves Commander (Pangkostrad) and the Army Doctrine Education and Training Commander (Dankodiklat AD).

He also served as the XII Tanjungpura Military Regional Commander (Pangdam) in 2016. Before that duty, he was the Presidential Security Detail Commander (Danpaspampres) responsible for guarding the President.

Source: Antara News

Proudly powered by WordPress