Day: January 5, 2022

Communities in the Zambezi Region say they will be more receptive to the COVID-19 vaccine if assured of their safety by their traditional and religious leaders, as they trust these leaders more.

Several community members echoed these sentiments while participating in recent COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy assessment discussions conducted by the Ministry of Health in nine regions with law vaccination uptake. The assessments concluded last week.

“Messages should come through our church leaders, traditional leaders and Indunas… The government should enable traditional leaders with a platform to engage our communities regarding COVID-19, because we trust our traditional leaders more than other sources of information, including politicians, the media or any other person,” a community member from Mafuta Constituency in Katima Mulilo Urban said.

Another participant from Linyanti Constituency said they are hesitant to get vaccinated because of confusing messages coming from different leaders of their churches.

“We have heard vaccinated people are connected to the ‘Beast or 666’ that is written in the Bible and is linked to the devil and that if you get vaccinated, you will not get into heaven,” she said while calling on the government to offer training to traditional, religious and youth leaders in this regard as community members trust them more.

Participants from other regions emphasised that there is still a need for education and awareness on the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine as currently, rumours and confusing information are more dominant.

Some participants from the Ohangwena Region called on Ministry of Health officials and health care workers to host more face-to-face community engagements to give the public opportunities to ask questions and seek clarity.

“People are telling each other lies. People sit at cucashops and spread lies and there is no one to disprove and explain things to us. It will help if nurses and doctors and people from the ministry come to us more often and educate us about the virus and vaccination, the same way they use to do with things like HIV and AIDS and TB,” a participant from the Omusati Region suggested.

Their sentiments were echoed by participants from all nine regions.

They also asked that messaging and COVID-19 information be communicated via the radio in local languages for better understanding.

Health Executive Director Ben Nangombe said the outcome of the assessment will guide the Ministry of Health and stakeholders in their COVID-19 response and efforts to reach herd immunity.

He assured members of the public that the vaccines are safe and provide protection against severe illness and death.

“Getting vaccinated could save your life and that of your loved ones. The vaccine strengthens your immune system and provides strong protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and death. Being vaccinated makes it less likely that you will pass the virus on to others, thereby protecting those around you,” Nangombe emphasised, adding that the Ministry of Health is mandated to ensure public health and does not aim to harm the public.

He also encouraged different institutions and community leaders to continue engaging the public and encouraging them to get vaccinated, adding that the ministry remains committed to partnership with leaders, institutions and individuals in the fight against COVID-19.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Oshana Governor Elia Irimari has said there is a need for a different approach to the fight against COVID-19, specifically with regards to boosting vaccination uptake and reaching herd immunity.

Irimari said this during a recent meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Services on the COVID-19 festive season campaign for the northern Namibians regions. The campaign was aimed at encouraging the public in the northern regions to get vaccinated. It started on 14 December 2021 and ends 07 January 2022.

Oshana has so far recorded the third lowest vaccination uptake nationally after the Zambezi and Ohangwena regions, having only fully vaccinated 19 184 people or 15.2 per cent of its 126 374 target population by 03 January.

“Our region through the governor’s office set up a task force committee consisting of all stakeholders including community members, government institutions and the private sector to support the ministry in combat the pandemic. We felt we have done what was needed in terms of sensitising communities about the pandemic through outreach programmes to all our 11 constituencies in the area,” Irimari said.

The governor said despite these efforts, vaccination uptake remains low, while misinformation continues to spread around, hampering Oshana’s COVID-19 response.

The region is working on new initiatives for 2022, which will include councillors visiting schools in their respective constituencies to talk to learners about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.

“In this fight we need the young ones to understand the pandemic. If we can directly engage young people to help them understand that vaccines are safe and that they reduce the risk of severe illness and death by COVID-19, then they can translate these messages to their parents and families in ways that they can understand,” Irimari said.

The governor’s office will further engage communities who have lost relatives to give public testimonies as a reminder of the devastating effect COVID-19 has on families.

“There were instances where half of the household was wiped out by COVID-19, from the grandparents to parents and siblings. Maybe by using those directly impacted, people will listen and understand that COVID-19 is real, and it is killing our people,” he stated.

The region further plans to engage the youth and youth leaders through sports events and other activities and will strengthen partnerships with traditional leaders.

“We need to amplify voices and messages from our traditional leaders. These are powerful leaders, especially in our rural communities. Their voices are at times more powerful than those of other leaders and are critical in our fight.”

Oshana is not the only region where vaccination uptake is low. As of 03 January, 405 409 people or 27 per cent of the targeted population had received their first dose countrywide, while 22.9 percent or 344 406 were fully vaccinated. Namibia aims to fully vaccinate at least 60 per cent of its population to reach herd immunity.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The City Government of Yogyakarta has taken several steps as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Omicron variant by increasing contact tracing.

“Tracing and testing will be expanded. Maybe the figure has more than doubled the standard number for contact tracing,” an official from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force of Yogyakarta Heroe Poerwadi stated here, Wednesday.

Poerwadi noted that since the number of COVID-19 cases in Yogyakarta was relatively low, contact tracing can be conducted more freely. If a local chain of transmission is suspected, then the area will be isolated immediately.

“The next step, which is the most important one, is to keep implementing health protocols in daily activities,” he remarked.

Poerwadi asserted that the task force had so far not found any Omicron case in Yogyakarta.

“Some time ago, there was a report of suspected (Omicron) transmission after six people in one family were confirmed positive for COVID-19. We have sent the samples to the laboratory for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) examination,” he noted.

However, the reports have not been issued, as the laboratory examination takes around two weeks, he added.

Poerwadi noted that the samples would be examined in the laboratory if rapid transmission is suspected in a certain area or location.

Hence, the examination is not conducted based on whether a person has just traveled from abroad, he added

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of January 5, 2022, at least 4,264,136 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,115,149 people have recovered, and 144,109 people have succumbed to the virus.

The Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant on December 16, 2021.

On Wednesday, January 5, 2022, the ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, confirmed 92 additional confirmed Omicron cases in Indonesia, thereby bringing the total case count to 254, comprising 239 imported cases and 15 cases due to local transmission.

Source: Antara News

An increase in active COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant has pushed up the bed occupancy rate (BOR) in Jakarta to seven percent, the provincial government has reported.

“We need to say that BOR has now increased to 7 percent from 4 percent, and ICU (intensive care unit) to 5 percent. This is our concern,” Jakarta deputy governor Ahmad Riza Patria said here on Wednesday.

In recent days, COVID-19 cases have increased, and although the number is not significant, it must be paid attention to, he added.

“The (daily positive cases) also increased today,” he said.

On Tuesday (January 4), the Jakarta authorities reported 115 additional cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 865.805.

People must remain alert as Jakarta is currently under Level 2 public activity restrictions (PPKM), Patria said.

The deputy governor also advised the public to keep complying with the health protocol.

“Please be more disciplined and obedient as Jakarta has now been raised to Level 2. We ask to improve (the compliance with health protocol),” he said.

Even though malls, offices, and schools have been 100-percent opened, he said his team has sought greater improvement in health protocol compliance.

“Parents make sure their children go home after finishing school,” he stressed.

He said he was grateful that there have been no deaths due to the Omicron variant, and emphasized that the best place for people is currently their home.

“Alhamdulillah (Thank God), COVID-19 is quite controlled in Jakarta, and even though in recent days there has been an increase in Omicron cases, we are grateful that no one has passed away,” he remarked.

He then expressed the hope that the cases would decline soon. The government has made regulations on COVID-19 and Omicron, but it all depends on Jakarta residents’ obedience to health protocols, he affirmed.

Source: Antara News

The government had taken necessary precautionary measures against the transmission of COVID-19 while implementing face-to-face learning (PTM) in schools, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin stated.

“I think the government has anticipated (the impact) by implementing health protocols and vaccinations,” the vice president noted after inaugurating a house of worship at Pancasila University, here on Wednesday.

The government will also start administering the third vaccine dose, also known as booster, to the public from mid-January.

The efforts are aimed at minimizing the transmission of COVID-19.

“We have already started in mid-January for the booster, for the third doses of vaccines,” he added.

Moreover, he highlighted that the government had also encouraged the implementation of the PeduliLindung application in schools and various public places to monitor community movements and avoid activities that drew crowds.

“Not only in schools, but also in various places, PeduliLindung is used, so that those who enter the school are already confirmed to not be infected,” he explained.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) requires all educational units in the region enforcing community activity restrictions (PPKM) levels one, two, and three to hold face-to-face learning in schools.

Face-to-face learning in schools is implemented on account of the fact that currently, most regions in Indonesia have entered the green zone, and there are no areas, with the PPKM level four or red zones.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta provincial government has implemented face-to-face learning with 100-percent capacity in line with the increase in the PPKM level.

The government has again raised the status of public activities restrictions (PPKM) in Jakarta to Level 2.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adi Sasmito, affirmed that the decision to hold face-to-face learning at full capacity was made since the national case count was quite under control.

“The condition of national cases was quite under control. Simulations of face-to-face learning have been conducted. Elements of education have been prepared,” Sasmito stated.

The number of patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 at the Emergency Hospital (RSDC) Wisma Atlet Kemayoran had increased by 168 to reach 1,206, an official earlier noted on Wednesday.

“Patients at the RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran in Tower 5 and 6, as of Wednesday, totalled 1,206 people, from the previous 1,038 people recorded yesterday,” Head of information for the Defense Area Joint Command (Kogabwilhan) I Marine Colonel Aris Mudian confirmed.

During the previous week, 566 COVID-19 patients were treated at RSDC Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, he noted. Thus, within a week, the number of COVID-19 patients at the facility had increased significantly by 640, he added.

From March 23, 2020, to January 5, 2022, the hospital received 131,282 patients out of which 130,076 patients are no longer at the hospital, Mudian stated.

Based on the information received, out of the 130,076 patients, 1,058 were referred to other hospitals, 128,442 recovered, and 596 people succumbed to the virus.

“Then, the number of patients at the Galang Island Hospital increased by 31, from 183 patients to 214 patients as of Wednesday,” Mudian stated.

Source: Antara News

A collective movement is needed to ensure the Omicron variant does not become widespread across Indonesia’s regions, deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Lestari Moerdijat, has said.

“After a number of prevention efforts during the Christmas and New Year 2022 holiday, a collective movement is necessary to prevent the spread of Omicron and to stop it at international arrivals and quarantine zones,” she remarked in a statement released here on Wednesday.

Such a movement is needed in response to the data from the COVID-19 Task Force, which has shown an increase in Omicron cases, she said.

According to the data, as of Tuesday, confirmed Omicron infections have increased to 254 in Indonesia, she added.

This figure includes 239 imported cases detected in international travelers and 15 locally transmitted cases, with the patients showing mild to no symptoms, she noted.

Since the majority of these cases were imported, consistent monitoring of international arrivals is essential, she said.

“The prevention effort should not only be done by workers from related institutions, but it should also be supported by the entire parties in the nation’s entryways and quarantine locations,” she stressed.

According to Moerdijat, negligence in prevention efforts within these locations could potentially allow the Omicron variant to spread to several regions in the nation.

Thus, a collective movement from stakeholders and the public is necessary to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, she said.

Source: Antara News