May 5, 2022 – Page 4 – Indonesia News Gazette

May 5, 2022

40.9 million Indonesians get COVID-19 booster

As many as 40.9 million Indonesian citizens have received the third or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday, the COVID-19 Handling Task Force has reported.

According to task force data received by ANTARA here on Thursday, the number of citizens who have received the third dose increased by 567,027 on Thursday, taking the total number of booster recipients to 40,942,530.

Meanwhile, the number of fully vaccinated people, or those who have received two vaccine doses under the government’s national vaccination program, swelled by 174,677 to reach 165,600,933 on Thursday.

As per the data, the number of people who received the first shot remained unchanged at 199,346,528.

As part of efforts to boost community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, targeting as many as 208,265,720 citizens across the country.

Earlier, the spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, had expressed the hope that the number of booster dose recipients would continue to increase to strengthen the protection of people during the 2022 Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

Vaccinations have contributed significantly to efforts to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, she noted.

The government is targeting to reach 80 percent coverage for booster vaccinations by the end of May 2022.

Tarmizi said that all parties must learn from previous experience and remain alert for a potential increase in COVID-19 cases after the long holiday and religious celebrations.

She recalled that the first COVID-19 wave, caused by the Alpha variant, occurred after the Christmas and New Year long holidays. The second wave, caused by the Delta variant, occurred after the 2021 long holiday and Eid al-Fitr, and the recent third wave, caused by the Omicron variant, occurred after the 2021 Christmas and the 2022 New Year holidays.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

Ministry verifying four suspected cases of mysterious hepatitis

The Health Ministry is currently verifying four suspected cases of severe acute hepatitis in children whose causes have not yet been determined.

“There are several findings of three to four cases, but we are still verifying them,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, confirmed here on Thursday afternoon.

The patients are currently undergoing intensive treatment at Jakarta’s Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital, she informed.

The symptoms experienced by the patients include yellow marks on the skin and eyes, acute stomachache, acute diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and sluggishness.

According to Tarmizi, the patients’ specimens have been sent to the laboratory at the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Medicine (FKUI) for research purposes.

The investigation into the mysterious hepatitis cases will also delve into the possibility that earlier, three children in Jakarta died due to severe acute hepatitis.

“According to the result of the contact investigation toward the cases, three of them came into the health facility in an advanced stadium/stage, allowing little time for health workers to rescue them,” she explained.

Out of the three patients, the two-year-old had not received a COVID-19 vaccination, the eight-year-old had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and complete hepatitis vaccination, and the 11-year-old had been administered complete COVID-19 and hepatitis vaccinations.

The three patients were COVID-19 negative. Based on the investigation’s result, it was also found that one of them had comorbidities, Tarmizi informed.

The three cases have not yet been categorized as severe hepatitis, but they have been included in the classification pending criteria, she said.

This is because there are laboratory examinations that must be done, especially adenovirus and hepatitis E examinations, that will require 10 to 14 days, she elaborated.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

Yogyakarta Gov’t conducts random surveillance of tourist attractions

The Yogyakarta City Tourism Service conducts random surveillance of tourist destinations and creative economy actors to check for the implementation of health protocols during the Eid holiday.

“We conduct monitoring through random surveillance until this weekend on all types of tourism service businesses and the creative economy sub-sector,” Head of the Yogyakarta City Tourism Service Wahyu Hendratmoko stated here on Thursday.

Hendratmoko emphasized the importance of conducting this surveillance activity in order to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission when tourists begin to throng the city during the Eid holiday.

“All tourism service businesses and the creative economy sub-sector must be able to implement strict and disciplined health protocols,” he remarked.

One of the supervisions to be conducted is to urge the manager of tourism services, especially tourist objects, to monitor the number of visitors entering and ensure that the capacity of tourist attractions remains under control to reduce potential crowds.

Managers of tourist attractions can temporarily close the ticket sales counter if the number of tourists is quite high and there is a likelihood of crowds occurring.

Ticket sales counters can be re-opened if the number of tourists could be successfully reduced to avoid bigger crowds.

Hendratmoko remarked that the Eid holiday offered a momentum for tourism recovery in Yogyakarta, which had experienced a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of travel restrictions.

He estimated that during the Eid holiday, the number of tourists visiting Yogyakarta could reach up to 3.9 million people.

“We have to ensure that tourists can travel safely and comfortably. We hope that our services to tourists during the Eid holiday can promote Yogyakarta’s tourism,” he remarked.

Various efforts have been made at Taman Pintar, one of the tourist attractions managed by the Yogyakarta City Government, to maintain health protocols, including online ticket sales.

Taman Pintar also provides facilities and infrastructure to support the implementation of health protocols, such as handwashing stations and placing hand sanitizers at accessible locations, providing temperature measurements, and using the PeduliLindungi Application for tourists entering the area.

Meanwhile, in the Malioboro Area, Head of the UPT Yogyakarta Cultural Heritage Area, Ekwanto, said his side continued to work towards implementing health protocols, including checking body temperature and running one-way paths on each side of the pedestrian lanes.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

East Java: PPHI sees increase in hotel occupancy during Eid

Hotel occupancy in East Java increased during the Eid al-Fitr holiday to reach 75–80 percent on average, especially in tourist areas such as Greater Malang, according to the Halal Tourism Association (PPHI).

The increase occurred due to the easing of travel restrictions by the government, the chair of the East Java PPHI, Mochamad Soleh, said here on Thursday.

“In general, the situation at tourist attractions and accommodations, currently, has improved, though it has not recovered to (the same levels) as before the pandemic. Business actors also hope that the COVID-19 cases will not increase again after the holiday,” he added.

Besides Greater Malang, several other tourist areas such as Bromo, Tretes, and Trawas also experienced an increase in hotel occupancy, reaching 100 percent on average, he informed.

“Surabaya and its surrounding areas recorded that the hotel occupancy on average reached 70 percent during the Eid holiday. However, starting from May 4, it has decreased to 50 percent,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, in Pasuruan and Probolinggo, the occupancy, on average, stood at 60 percent. After the Eid period, it is predicted to decline again to 30 percent.

Soleh appealed to hotel and tourist attraction managements to follow the COVID-19 health procedures, including implementing the concept of halal or Muslim-friendly tourism.

“In general, tourism in East Java has implemented the concept of halal or Muslim friendly by providing worship facilities for Muslims and providing halal food,” he said.

According to the East Java office of Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the room occupancy rate at star-rated hotels in East Java reached 46.56 percent on average, or up 1.85 percent compared to early 2022.

Meanwhile, the room occupancy rate at non-star rated hotels in the province stood at 21.86 percent, an increase of 0.63 percent compared to early 2022.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

Indonesia seeks to retain women’s shot put at SEA Games

The Indonesian contingent’s Chef de Mission for the SEA Games, Ferry J. Kono, has assured that he will strive to prevent women’s shot put from being canceled from the 31st edition of the multi-sport event.

The SEA Games organizing committee has decided to cancel three competitions for failing to meet the required number of participants.

Two of them are from the athletic sports branch, namely women’s shot put and men’s hammer throw, which are only seeing participation from two nations.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday, Kono emphasized that the holding of the women’s shot put event is currently being discussed with the organizing committee and there is a possibility that it will not be canceled.

“Within the SEAGF (SEA Games Federation) regulation, women’s shot put can be played if there are three athletes. However, the technical handbook listed three nations,” he explained.

“Within the DRM (Delegation Registration Meeting) yesterday, there are three athletes from two nations, namely Thailand and Indonesia, for women’s shot put. Hence, this is still in the discussion stage,” he added.

He said that currently, he is doing the best he can through diplomacy efforts with the SEAGF and the Vietnam Olympics Committee so that the women’s shot put event can be held.

“The Indonesian Olympics Committee is still striving because thus far, us and Thailand have not yet received the official letter,” Kono informed.

The committee has asked that the women’s shot put event be held because, as per the regulations, there are three athletes who have trained for the event and are ready to compete, he added.

Hence, for the sake of sportsmanship, this event must be held, he said.

He further said that he is also working with the Executive Board of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PB PASI) on this effort.

So far, PB PASI has communicated with the continental athletics federation regarding the issue and asked the Vietnam National Athletics Federation to continue to deploy athletes for the women’s shot put event.

“We will make every effort so that the women’s shot (put) event can be held and our athlete, Eki, can perform in Vietnam,” Kono said.

Indonesia has prepared Eki Erawati Febri for the women’s shot put event. She set a national record at the 2017 National Championship with a throw of 15.60 m.

She also bagged the gold medal at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and a silver at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

SAR team seeks child victim dragged by sea currents

The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team is still looking for a seven-year-old tourist from Cicurug Sub-District, Sukabumi District, West Java, that drowned at Rawakalong Beach.

Chief of the Sukabumi Marine and Air Police Unit, Adjunct Commissioner Tenda Sukendar, stated that the police unit, along with joint search and rescue teams, conducted efforts to search for Gibran, the missing child, until 11 a.m. local time. The victim drowned at Rawakalong Beach, Palabuhanratu Sub-district, on Wednesday, May 4, at around 4:10 p.m. local time. Sukendar delivered the statement on Thursday.

His administration dispatched several teams to conduct searches in the middle of the sea and the shores. However, no clue of the boy’s whereabouts had been found so far.

Sukendar drew attention to the possibility of the victim being sucked in by underwater currents. The SAR team also expanded the area of search to increase the likelihood of finding the boy’s body in case it was dragged by the currents to the middle of the sea. The National Search and Rescue Agency, Sukabumi Regional Search and Rescue Communication Forum, National Defense Force, and volunteers partook in the search and rescue efforts.

He noted that currently, the weather was quite sunny, but the sea was on high tide. In addition, tourists continue to visit Rawakalong Beach. To prevent accidents, his administration has constantly reminded them to not partake in activities, particularly swimming, in areas where accidents often took place.

He stated that the teams were still searching for the child, and it was expected that he could be found soon. They also appealed to the tourists to follow the rules and regulations of the tourism area while partaking in activities on the beach.

On Wednesday, May 4, seven-year-old child named Gibran got caught in a big wave at around 4:10 p.m. local time while swimming with his family at Rawakalong Beach.

The Sukabumi Water and Air Police Unit and the West Java Water and Air Police Unit, who were patrolling the location, attempted to save the victim, but Gibran could not be rescued, as his body was quickly dragged away by the current all the way to the middle of the sea before he eventually disappeared.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

Police ready strategies to handle congestion on toll roads, ports

The National Police and other institutions have prepared strategies to handle heavy traffic on toll roads and ports during the return flow of the Eid exodus, police chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has said.

The strategies include the implementation of traffic engineering, such as contraflow and one-way systems. Traffic engineering will be implemented due to an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, especially from West Java to Jakarta.

“Just like the departure (period) of the Eid homecoming, traffic engineering or strategies that will be implemented (progressively during the return period) will start from the contraflow to one-way (systems),” Prabowo said after reviewing the Garuda Wisnu Kencana tourist attraction in Bali on Thursday, according to a written statement issued by the public relations division of the police.

The application of traffic engineering will remain situational, that is, it will depend on the dynamics in the field, he added.

Traffic engineering in the form of the contraflow system will be implemented when the number of vehicles on the toll road reaches five thousand, he expounded. Meanwhile, the one-way traffic policy will be implemented when the figure surpasses six thousand and moves towards seven thousand vehicles per hour.

The police chief informed that besides implementing traffic engineering, the police will also implement other strategies, such as increasing the number of ships and wharves at Bakauheni port, Lampung, to prevent congestion.

Rest areas around Bakauheni will also be prepared to accommodate people.

President Joko Widodo has appealed to people to make the return trip early, before the predicted return flow peak on May 6, 7, and 8, 2022.

However, for those who can only return on May 6, 7, and 8, the National Police and other stakeholders have prepared several strategies to anticipate traffic congestion, he informed.

He stressed that information on all traffic engineering policies that the police will implement would be disseminated to the community first.

Source: Antara News

May 5, 2022

Puncak’s hotel occupancy rate reaches 70 percent during Eid holiday

The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Bogor District, West Java, recorded that the hotel occupancy rate during the Eid holiday period in the Puncak area, Bogor, had reached 70 percent.

“The overall occupancy rate may lie between 60 and 70 percent,” Deputy Chair of the Bogor District PHRI Boboy Ruswanto noted here on Thursday.

According to Ruswanto, the occupancy rate recorded was beyond PHRI’s projections. He assessed that the increase in hotel occupancy rate was supported by the online hotel reservation system.

He noted that visitors rarely booked hotel rooms through online platforms during the two previous years’ Eid holiday periods. In addition, the policies implemented by the government were changing constantly.

Ruswanto emphasized that hotel visitors were still necessitated to comply with the COVID-19 health protocols despite the low COVID-19 transmission rate in Bogor District.

He noted that the PHRI had sought factual information regarding the traffic engineering schedule for the one-way system on the Puncak Bogor route during the Eid holiday.

He noted that providing updated information to visitors is essential to prevent them from cancelling their visit due to congestion on the route.

According to Ruswanto, hotels along the Puncak route need information about the schedule of traffic engineering, such as the one-way system and the odd-even system.

Even so, he admitted that he still supports the policies enforced by the Bogor Police.

However, he believes that the police should calculate the time when tourists arrive and return from the Puncak area.

“We continue to receive updates from the Traffic Police regarding information about the traffic, so that guests can also get the information,” he remarked.

For the 2022 Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Indonesian government decided to declare the collective leave days for the Eid al-Fitr period to be on April 29 and on May 4-6, 2022.

Source: Antara News