Gov’t Issues Circular on COVID-19 Omicron Prevention, Control
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Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin December 30, 2021 has signed a Circular Number HK.02.01/MENKES/1391/2021 on the Prevention and Control of Cases of COVID-19 Omicron Variant (B.1.1.529).
“The main point of the circular is to strengthen central and regional coordination as well as health service facilities in handling Omicron transmission,” Health Ministry’s COVID-19 Vaccination Spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said as quoted from the official website of the Ministry (01/05).
Nadia further said that the recent confirmed cases of Omicron in Indonesia is still dominated by Indonesian citizens who had just returned from overseas trips. “Most of them are in mild and asymptomatic conditions. The most common symptoms are coughs (49 percent) and colds (27 percent),” she added.
For the record, Omicron has proven to have a much faster transmission rate than that of the Delta variant. Since it was first reported on November 24, 2021 in South Africa, the variant has been found in more than 110 countries and is expected to continue to expand.
At the national level, the variant cases have also gradually increased since the first confirmed case on December 16, 2021. According to the Ministry, there are 92 new confirmed cases of Omicron on January 4, 2022, bringing the total cases to 254 that include 239 imported cases and 15 local transmissions.
The circular requires that all probable and confirmed cases of Omicron variant, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, must be isolated in hospitals that provide COVID-19 services. Then the close contacts of the patients must immediately be traced within 1×24 hours and each close contact must immediately perform quarantine for 10 days at a centralized quarantine facility and do examination for entry and exit tests.
In addition, asymptomatic patients must perform quarantine for at least 10 days since the confirmation of diagnosis specimen was taken and must obtain negative results of the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) for 2 consecutive times with an interval of more than 24 hours.
Meanwhile, symptomatic patients must perform quarantine for 10 days from the onset of symptoms plus at least 3 days free of symptoms of fever and respiratory problems and must obtain negative results of the NAAT test for two consecutive times with an interval of more than 24 hours.
The circular also states that the provincials, regencies, and municipalities health offices must record and report using the Allrecord TC-19 app and coordinate with the Ministry in efforts to prevent and control cases of Omicron variants.
The financing of quarantine in hospitals that provide COVID-19 Omicron variant services and centralized quarantine are borne by the State Budget (APBN) and other legal sources of funds in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations, the circular reads. (Ministry of Health PR/UN) (GWH/LW)
