Day: December 16, 2021

Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) – Bandung has commenced offering COVID-19 vaccination to children aged six to 11 years, with the target of covering as many as 438 elementary schools and 31 Madrasa Ibtidaiyah (MI).

Acting Mayor of Bandung Yana Mulyana remarked that vaccination for children in the age bracket of six to 11 years is an effort to create herd immunity, which doubles as an effort to facilitate smoother implementation of face-to-face learning.

“The target is met if the distribution is even in two to three months,” Mulyana stated at the Dewi Sartika Park, Bandung City Hall, West Java, on Thursday.

Mulyana noted that as many as 233,175 children in the age group of six to 11 years were targeted under the vaccination program. He believed that vaccination in Bandung would run well, seeing that loci are easier and well-recorded in every school.

“We are sure because of its location in the school. It is easier for us to conduct the vaccination. Although there are rules, (such as those), they still have to get mandatory vaccines, such as for measles, and it has to be taken four weeks apart,” he stated.

Head of the Bandung Health Office Ahyani Raksanagara remarked that the vaccination target for those in the age group of six to 11 years would be achieved within about three months, as children of that age had to be integrated into the national vaccination program, as it was the month of students’ immunization.

“It must be integrated with the national program of vaccination, the month of immunization for school children. Students of grade 1 and grade 2 are currently undergoing school child immunization for Measles, Diphtheria, and Tetanus. Hence, it is part of providing protection to everyone,” she remarked.

Raksanagara noted that should there be a problem with the single identity number, a mobile service from the Bandung City Population and Civil Registration Office would be available at the vaccination sites.

“Hence, it is in the Family Card, which is why we offer it from the Bandung City Population and Civil Registration Office for children, with problems regarding their single identity number,” he stated.

Raksanagara explained that the location of the vaccination was based on the school’s request. Thus, she noted that the respective schools can conduct the vaccination program at their own venue if they intended it.

“It depends on the school’s request. If we can implement it at the school, we will do it. However, if they want to use the vaccine sites, we will facilitate it,” she remarked.

Source: Antara News

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo called on his ranks to be wary of the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, by helping to expedite vaccinations and tighten health protocols.

“We have to be more vigilant and obey tight health protocols, as transmission of the Omicron variant is five times faster,” Prabowo noted in a written statement regarding his working visit to Gorontalo on Thursday.

The police chief later remarked that the Health Ministry had announced about the finding of the Omicron variant in Indonesia. Hence, preventive efforts were deemed necessary to curb the spread of the virus, including by accelerating vaccination to build herd immunity.

The four-star general criticized the uneven vaccination coverage in several areas where some regions have reached 90 to 100 percent, while in other areas, the vaccination coverage was below 70 percent.

“We must immediately expedite vaccination, especially in areas where vaccination coverage is still low. It is our responsibility to achieve and catch up with this gap and maintain the achievements that have been obtained,” he remarked.

Prabowo also noted that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had assigned the National Police to pursue the 70-percent vaccination coverage target by the end of December 2021.

To achieve the target, Prabowo called for putting in place a strategy in addition to collaboration among all relevant parties, right from the National Police (Polri), Indonesia Defense Forces (TNI), local governments, and volunteers to elements of the community.

He also lauded Indonesia’s successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as was apparent from the low positivity rate and the bed occupancy rates at hospitals that are still normal.

However, Prabowo reminded all elements to always maintain this achievement since it brought hope for the community and had a positive impact on Indonesia’s economic growth.

Prabowo also called on the public to comply with health protocols ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays to curb the spread of COVID-19 by minimizing mobility.

“Let us take care of each other,” he remarked.

The public’s compliance with health protocols and Indonesia’s ability to control the COVID-19 pandemic are at stake for Indonesia, which organizes the G20 Presidency in 2022, he affirmed.

“If we can control the spread of COVID-19, we can encourage economic growth by attracting investment,” he noted.

During his work visit to Gorontalo, Prabowo also monitored the implementation of vaccinations around Indonesia, such as in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, and West Papua, through teleconference.

During the teleconference, Prabowo urged the regional police chief and regional heads to realize the target of 70-percent nationwide vaccination coverage, with two weeks left.

“We must pursue President Jokowi’s target by completing 70 percent of the vaccination by the end of 2021,” he emphasized.

Source: Antara News

Police have brought three ‘Avengers’ to accompany children aged 6 to 11 years at a vaccination program at Pulo 01 State Elementary School, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Kebayoran Baru Police Commissioner Anggaito Hadi Prabowo said that the three ‘Avengers’ were brought to entertain the children and dispel their fear of getting vaccinated.

The three superheroes stood in front of the school gates to welcome children coming to get their COVID-19 shots, Prabowo informed.

The COVID-19 vaccination at Pulo 01 State Elementary School has been on since Wednesday, he said.

“The total is about 700 doses, for today, there is a target of 360 doses,” he added.

The head of Pulo 01 State Elementary School, Sri Wahyuni, said she expected the vaccination to open up opportunities for all students to get fully involved in face-to-face learning.

She revealed that students were bored of staying home, and they had also complained whenever they had to do distance learning.

“I feel bad for the children and parents who had to do distance learning at home; they have suffered a lot. Many have complained, especially those who say their children were lazy, whenever told to do something they refuse. Eventually, their grades are good, but (that’s because) their parents are (the ones) doing it,” she remarked.

The South Jakarta city government is aiming to inoculate 242 thousand children aged 6–11 against COVID-19.

“In total in South Jakarta, there are 242 thousand children aged 6–11 years who will be vaccinated,” South Jakarta Mayor Munjirin said.

Source: Antara News

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Thursday asked the people to stay calm after the first Omicron infection was reported in Indonesia.

“It is important to be vigilant, but do not panic,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had announced that the first case of the new coronavirus variant had been detected in Indonesia.

The first person to be infected by the new variant was a janitor working at Wisma Atlet, he informed. The case was detected after three workers at the location were found positive for COVID-19, he said.

“So far, the Omicron variant has not shown severe symptoms, especially in patients who have been vaccinated,” Jokowi said.

He also asked the public to immediately get vaccinated to protect themselves.

“Therefore, I ask people who have not received the vaccination to immediately get it at health facilities,” he emphasized.

In addition, the head of state expressed the hope that the public will continue to implement strict health protocols.

“Although the situation in the country is approaching normal, please keep wearing masks, keep your distance, and wash your hands,” he reiterated.

The President also asked local governments to intensify testing and tracing of close contacts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier, Minister Sadikin had said that three workers at Wisma Atlet were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on December 8, 2021. On December 10, 2021, whole-genome sequencing testing was carried out and the result on December 15, 2021, showed the presence of the Omicron variant in one of the three samples, he informed.

The minister said the worker with the Omicron infection showed no symptoms.

Additionally, five cases of possible Omicron infection were also detected, Sadikin said. Two of the suspected patients are currently quarantined at Wisma Atlet, he informed. They are Indonesian citizens who recently returned from the United States and the United Kingdom, he said.

The other three suspected patients are foreign nationals from China who visited Manado, the minister said. They are currently undergoing quarantine in Manado, North Sulawesi, he added.

Meanwhile, data from Health Ministry at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday showed more than 149 million people, or 71.64 percent of the targeted recipients had received their first vaccine dose, while more than 105 million people, or 50.53 percent of the target had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Meanwhile. 1,263,846 people had received the booster vaccine. The government is targeting to vaccinate 208,265,720 people in Indonesia in an effort to build herd immunity.

Source: Antara News

Female genital mutilation or female circumcision is not beneficial to women and could prove harmful instead, the director of family health at the Health Ministry, Dr. Erna Mulati, has said.

“(FGM) has no benefit, it’s even very harmful,” she stated during a webinar, accessed online from here on Thursday.

The Health Ministry does not recommend female circumcision, she added.

“The Health Ministry does not recommend women to be circumcised, and even prohibits it, because, from the health aspect, it must be based on medical indications,” she stated.

Female genital mutilation could be opted for if there are certain medical indications, or in cases where genital circumcision can provide health benefits, she added.

There are short-term and long-term effects of genital mutilation, she said adding, the short-term effects include bleeding.

“If (the bleeding) is not treated immediately, it is not impossible that there would be heavy bleeding,” she said.

There could also be tremendous pain, which might cause the affected person to faint, she warned. The bleeding could even cause shock, she said.

Female genital mutilation could also lead to urinary tract infections, she added.

“A urinary tract infection can occur. If this urinary tract (infection) is not addressed properly, it can become chronic later. If it is chronic, it will have a significant impact,” she cautioned.

Another consequence could be an inability to feel pleasure during sexual intercourse, she said.

Not only that, women who are circumcised could experience prolonged psychological trauma, she added.

Source: Antara News

Yogyakarta is planning to start COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6–11 years from Saturday, an official said on Thursday adding, the program is targeting around 39 thousand children.

“This weekend, there will be a kick-off of vaccinations for children in collaboration with us in Yogyakarta city,” head of the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Emma Rahmi Aryani, announced here on Thursday.

According to Aryani, the technical guidelines for the vaccination program are still being finalized to ensure the entire process can be carried out properly.

The vaccinations are planned to be held in schools and will be administered by officers from the community health center (puskesmas) of each area, based on the school’s location, she informed.

She affirmed that her office will deploy more health personnel to assist in the implementation, if needed.

Aryani informed that Sinovac vaccines will be used for the program, in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s regulation.

“Although the side effects of the Sinovac vaccine tend to be mild, we still have to anticipate various potential adverse events following immunization (AEFI) because, after all, the vaccine recipients are children,” she said.

The Yogyakarta City Health Office has also asked schools to help disseminate information regarding the vaccinations to parents, she added.

Vaccinations for children will be conducted in accordance with the recommendation of the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI) through Circular number 166/ITAGI/Adm/XII/2021, dated December 9, 2021, regarding the Study of COVID-19 Vaccination in Children aged 6–11 years old.

Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has also issued Health Minister’s Decree Number HK.01.07./MENKES/6688/2021 on the implementation of vaccination for the CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for Children Aged 6 to 11 years. He signed the decree on December 13, 2021.

Source: Antara News

The national COVID-19 Handling Task Force has boosted the capacity of self-isolation sites to anticipate a rise in the number of travelers arriving from abroad ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

“In addition, the quarantine period in Indonesia has been extended from seven days to ten days,” head of the task force, Lieutenant General Suharyanto, said at a virtual press conference here on Thursday.

He predicted that the number of travelers will increase in the next few days.

Therefore, the task force has prepared the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital at Jakarta Athlete’s Village, he said. Tower 7 of the complex will be specifically used to quarantine Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI), he informed.

In addition, the Nagrak Cilincing Flats, North Jakarta, will serve as an alternative self-isolation facility, he said.

“The places can accommodate more than four thousand people. Thus, neither place will be too crowded with people,” the task force head added.

He urged people to conduct isolation according to procedures and not leave the facility before the quarantine period ends. People must comply with the health protocols so that there are no more imported COVID-19 cases, he added.

The government has found one confirmed Omicron case in Indonesia, he noted.

A janitor at the Jakarta Athlete’s Village COVID-19 Emergency Hospital was reported positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 following a genome sequencing test, he said.

In addition, the Health Ministry also detected five suspected Omicron patients—two Indonesians and three Chinese citizens, he noted.

Currently, the Indonesians — who have just returned from the United States and the United Kingdom — are self-isolating at Jakarta Athlete’s Village, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese citizens who came to Manado city, North Sulawesi province, are being quarantined in an isolation facility in the city, he added.

“We do not need to panic and there is no need to worry. However, the public is urged to be disciplined in conducting health protocols, especially regarding multiple health screenings for international travelers,” Suharyanto emphasized.

According to the task force’s circulars (numbers 25 and 26 of 2021), international travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Hong Kong are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine, he said.

Meanwhile, travelers coming from other countries have to undergo ten-day isolation, he informed.

“They are also required to show PCR swab results taken within 72 hours before departure,” he added.

Upon arriving in Indonesia, travelers will be subjected to another COVID-19 test, he said.

They will have to take one more COVID-19 test one day before leaving the quarantine facility, which would be the 13th day for people quarantining for 14 days and the 9th day for those quarantining for 10 days, he added.

Source: Antara News

Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate appealed to the public to not panic but stay calm and follow the health protocols after the first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant was reported in Indonesia.

“The government, through the Health Ministry, has announced the finding of the Omicron variant of concern (voc) in Indonesia. As we know, (the new variant) spreads very fast,” he said.

In responding to this, the public will hopefully not panic, Plate said in a written statement that ANTARA received in Jakarta on Thursday.

“Stay calm, stay vigilant, adhere to health protocols, and get full vaccination. Also help the government strengthen the implementation of 3Ts (testing, tracing, and treatment),” he said.

Plate further appealed to the public to refrain from unnecessary mobility and going on non-essential trips ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

He reminded the public to always follow the suggestions of health experts in relation to health protocols.

If people follow the health protocols properly and stay disciplined, they will be able to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus from infecting human beings, he said.

In addition, residents who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 should get vaccinated soon so that if they are exposed to the virus they will not suffer serious symptoms that will have a detrimental effect on their health, he added.

Earlier, Minister Sadikin had said that three workers at Wisma Atlet were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on December 8, 2021. On December 10, 2021, whole-genome sequencing testing was carried out and the result on December 15, 2021, showed the presence of the Omicron variant in one of the three samples, he informed.

The minister said the worker with the Omicron infection showed no symptoms.

Additionally, five cases of possible Omicron infection were also detected, Sadikin said. Two of the suspected patients are currently quarantined at Wisma Atlet, he informed. They are Indonesian citizens who recently returned from the United States and the United Kingdom, he said.

The other three suspected patients are foreign nationals from China who visited Manado, the minister said. They are currently undergoing quarantine in Manado, North Sulawesi, he added.

Source: Antara News