JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia's President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo set an ambitious target of vaccinating as many as 7.5 million residents in Jakarta by the end of August to achieve herd immunity.
Jakarta, where the first two confirmed cases were detected in March 2020, is currently the largest epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
Despite the ambitious target, Jokowi wants it to be realized because the sooner herd immunity is formed, hopefully, the pandemic will end soon.
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"I have also told the Jakarta Governor that by the end of August, 7.5 million residents in Jakarta must be vaccinated. This is indeed an ambitious target," said Jokowi when visiting a vaccination center in Tanah Tinggi low-cost apartment in Central Jakarta on Monday, June 14.
Accompanying him were Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and Central Jakarta Mayor Dhany Sukma.
To achieve the target, the president has instructed the local administrations of all levels to work hard. This program must also be supported by all public health centers and hospitals in the capital city.
"The people interaction in Jakarta is high so is the people mobility, therefore the speed of mass vaccination program will help stem the spread of the Covid-19," he said.
The Covid-19 vaccination held at Tanah Tinggi, one of the crowded areas in Jakarta capital, was intended for the general public and people with disabilities. The people interaction in the area is very high so that the vaccination program must be prioritized.
"Imagine if a resident living in this apartment contracted Covid-19, the virus would spread quickly. So, the vaccination program is needed in this area," said Jokowi.
The Covid-19 vaccination program in Jakarta has entered the third stage since May 2021. This stage aims to inoculate vulnerable groups and people living in the red zones or areas with a high risk of coronavirus transmission.
Previously, Jokowi targeted to administer 700,000 jabs per day this month and a million jabs next month.
"We hope that this June, the daily target of administering 700,000 doses can be achieved. So that in July we will administer one million doses per day," said Jokowi on Wednesday, June 9.
(Writer: Fitria Chusna Farisa | Editor: Krisiandi)
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