President Jokowi Orders Health Minister to Discuss Pandemic Status with WHO

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin delivers a press statement at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday (10/03). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Agung)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin to have a  consultation meeting with Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus regarding the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“WHO’s Director General said that the Government can implement policies to loosen up health protocols,” the Minister said after attending a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday (10/03).

According to the Minister, WHO is an authorized organization responsible for declaring the lifting of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Especially for the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health Emergency of International Concern of WHO will officially declare an end to the pandemic,” Budi said, adding that President Jokowi has previously said that the lifting of pandemic status is in sight.

“The pandemic has indeed started to ease off. We may soon declare the pandemic is over,” the President said at during the launching of Inclusive Partnership to Level Up MSMEs in Jakarta, Monday (10/03).

Echoing a similar sentiment, Ministry of Health’s Spokesperson Mohammad Syahril also revealed that Indonesia is currently preparing for an endemic since COVID-19 assessment parameters show a continuous slump, adding that the public, however, should remain vigilant against the possibility of virus mutations.

“According to the announcement of WHO Director General, the whole world is currently facing an exciting period because the signs of the end of the COVID pandemic are starting to appear, including in Indonesia,” Syahril said, Friday (09/30).

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia are based on an assessment of COVID-19 parameters, ranging from case numbers to the use of COVID-19 treatment beds.

The first parameter showed a decline in weekly confirmed cases since the third week of August. The average daily number of COVID-19 cases currently stands at around 2,000, followed by a drop in weekly positivity rate to 6.38 percent in the last week.

Mortality rate also decreased to 123 per week or an average number of under 20 per day.

The decline in the number of cases was also accompanied by a decrease in the number of treatments for COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

As of September 10, bed occupancy rate continued to decline from the initial 5 percent to 4.83 percent, while daily positivity rate tends to slope in the last month.

“The public needs to remain vigilant in preparing measures towards an endemic by still adhering to health protocols, including enforcing discipline in wearing a mask,” he said. (FID/UN) (RIF/EP)