Covid-19: Indonesia May Lift Restrictions by End of 2022

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said Wednesday, Dec. 21, that the Indonesian government may lift the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) by the end of the year.

“As of yesterday, we recorded 1,200 cases of Covid-19. The PPKM could be lifted by the end of the year,” the President said during the 2023 Indonesia Economic Outlook event.

Jokowi said that based on the latest data, the downward trend in daily Covid-19 cases continues. He cited as an example that, as of Tuesday, Dec. 20, Indonesia's daily Covid-19 case count stood at 1,200.

The figure showed a drastic decline as compared to the peak of the Omicron spread, which reached 64,000 cases in a day.

Also read: Covid-19 Transmission Under Control in Early December: Indonesias Health Minister

According to the president, the difficult situation of the Covid-19 pandemic was able to be handled well and brought under control. This is because the government maintained a calm stance and made careful calculations to handle the difficult situation.

"We remember that at that time, there was not enough personal protective equipment. There was no oxygen. Patients piled up in hospitals. Luckily, we were still calm, not nervous, so we could manage this very difficult situation," he said.

The president recalled that when the Delta variant of the coronavirus hit Indonesia, almost 80 percent of the ministers in his cabinet advised him to implement a lockdown. At that time, Indonesia's daily Covid-19 case count reached 56,000.

Also read: Over 65 Million Indonesians Received First Covid Booster Shots

"I remember almost 80 percent of the ministers advised me to [impose a] lockdown. The community also conveyed the same thing. If we had done it at that time, maybe the story would turn out differently now," he said.

Indonesia confirmed the first two cases of Covid-19 in March 2020. The National Covid-19 Task Force reported that as of Dec. 20 this year, the total number of coronavirus reached 6,711,703 cases, 6,525,525 recoveries, and 160,451 deaths.

Source: State News Antara