Health Minister Unveils Long Term Strategy for COVID-19 Handling

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin. Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat.

Health protocols, vaccination as well as testing, tracing and treatment measures are pivotal for handling COVID-19 pandemic in the long term, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has stated.

“We have to be more prepared on handling the upstream sector, namely maintaining new habits or health protocols, good testing, tracing, and treatment (3T) measures as well as vaccination,” Budi said on Monday (30/08).

Regarding the new habits, the Government utilizes digital technology in the form of PeduliLindungi application in implementing health protocols. The application has three functions, namely screening, tracing, and controlling health protocols.

The Minister said that the Government will try to implement health protocols with technology support in six main sectors of public activities.

The six sectors are trade, transportation, tourism, work environment, educational activities and religious activities.

Regarding testing, tracing, and treatment (3T) measures, it is necessary to increase epidemiological tests and increase the ratio of close contact tracing as well as genomic surveillance in potential areas.

The Minister also said that regions with high positivity rate should increase their testing and tracing measures.

“In some provinces, the positivity rate is still high, they must continue to improve their testing and tracing measures,” Budi said.

The Minister further said that the Government continues to accelerate and expand vaccination coverage to immediately achieve herd immunity. He said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has set the target of 100 million doses of vaccination by the end of August and 2.3 million (daily doses). (RF/UN) (RI/MMB)