Indonesia Records over 3,000 Cases of Covid Omicron Variant

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The heavily mutated omicron coronavirus variant has thus far infected a total of 3,161 people, including 324 children in Indonesia, the country’s health official said on Thursday, Feb. 3.

The Health Ministry’s director of prevention and control of infectious diseases Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that of the 3,161 cases, 1,661 are imported cases, 1,247 are locally transmitted cases and 253 other cases are still under epidemiological studies.

“There are 324 children who have been contracted the omicron variant,” Nadia told Kompas.com.

Also read: New Omicron Subtype BA.2 is Spreading Quickly

She said 1,149 people have been recovered from the omicron variant.

Five omicron-related deaths

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that five patients have died after contracting the omicron variant.

Budi said that those who have died were not fully vaccinated.

He said that 63 percent of the total number of deaths in moderate and severe cases that required oxygen cylinders have not been fully vaccinated. The minister said although the symptoms are mild, the omicron variant could cause severe impact on vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with comorbidities, and children.

Therefore, he stressed the importance of accelerating the Covid-19 vaccination for the elderly and children.

“Based on this matter, there is a need to accelerate the vaccination, especially for the elderly and children. We must protect the unvaccinated people so that they will be immediately vaccinated, especially the elderly and children,” he said.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari | Editor: Bagus Santosa)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2022/02/03/08350431/kemenkes-3161-kasus-covid-19-omicron-di-indonesia-324-di-antaranya-anak-anak.