Indonesia Highlights: Local Transmission of Indian Covid-19 Variant Found in Greater Jakarta Area | Indonesia to Use Homegrown 'Merah Putih' Vaccine in Covid-19 Jab Drive | 7,000 MSMEs Register for Pr

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s health authorities found a new locally transmitted case of the B.1.617 strain of the coronavirus from India, which is believed to be more dangerous than the original, in a part of the country’s capital.

In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government will also use the homegrown Covid vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White) in the national Covid-19 jab drive.

Below are the editors’ picks stories published on Kompas.com:

Local Transmission of Indian Covid-19 Variant Found in Greater Jakarta Area

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast its shadow over Jakarta and its surrounding areas after health officials announced that they found the B.1.617 strain of the coronavirus from India in a part of the capital.

Jakarta Health Services official for the Surveillance and Immunization Division Ngabila Salama confirmed that officials found the B.1.617 variant in an undisclosed district, following a massive track and tracing effort.

“We have found a case [of the Indian Covid-19 variant] and vaccinated the carriers. The strain was transmitted to the individual locally, not from overseas,” she said on Wednesday. “We carried out the vaccinations after we gathered the samples of the inhabitants and double-checked them.”

Kompas.com tried to verify Ngabila’s account to Jakarta Health Services head Widyastuti. But she has yet to comment at the time of publication. Her counterpart in the neighboring province of Banten, Ati Pramudji, confirmed the Jakarta Health Services’ findings.

“The B.1.617 Covid-19 variant has found its way to [the Jakarta satellite city of] South Tangerang. The mutation was transmitted to a couple in South Tangerang’s North Serpong district. They are currently monitored by Banten Province’s Covid-19 Task Force,” she said.
“We suspect that they are infected by one of their children who lived in Jakarta.”

Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has warned that there at least 26 known cases of the B.1.617, B.1.351, and B.1.1.7 strains from India, South Africa, and Great Britain in Indonesia.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/20/034151274/local-transmission-of-indian-covid-19-variant-found-in-greater-jakarta-area.

Indonesia to Use Homegrown 'Merah Putih' Vaccine in Covid-19 Jab Drive

Dok. Shutterstock Vaccination Illustration.

National Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said that the homegrown Covid vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), will be used in the free-of-charge vaccination program held by the government.

Currently, the progress on the Merah Putih vaccine, which is named after the colors of the Indonesian flag, is entering its preclinical testing stage.

"The Merah Putih vaccine will be included in the [vaccination] program organized by the government," Wiku said in a virtual press conference via the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Tuesday, May 18.

Wiku added that the vaccine made by Airlangga University (Unair) has entered preclinical trials. After the preclinical test on animals is done, it will be continued to the next stage which will involve volunteers, he said.

Airlangga University rector Mohammad Nasih said that Unair could not stand alone in the Covid-19 vaccine research process.

He said many parties were involved, including the Ministry of Research and Technology and the National Research and Innovation Agency.

"The vaccine development is part of Unair's long-term programs to help contain the spread of Covid-19. We've been through a long and winding road and we've been changing methods," Nasih was quoted as saying on Airlangga University's website.

Nasih said that Airlangga University would not be involved in the mass production of the Merah Putih vaccine. The University's involvement is in the preparation process and it was done correctly following the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).

"It is predicted that the vaccine will be used about 10 to 11 months from now considering the preclinical stage is not a simple and instantaneous stage," said Nasih.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/19/181133774/indonesia-to-use-homegrown-merah-putih-vaccine-in-covid-19-jab-drive.

7,000 MSMEs Register for Private Covid-19 Vaccination Scheme: Indonesia Business Chamber

KOMPAS.com/ELSA CATRIANA Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, speaks during a familiarization event on Gotong Royong Vaccine Centre on Wednesday, May 19.

Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that 7,000 micro small medium enterprises (MSMEs) have registered for the Covid-19 jab drive to run alongside the government-led mass vaccination program.

“We see that the vaccination drive has been well-received when we look at the number of companies who register for the program. So far, 7,000 MSMEs have registered with us,” said Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, head of the business group, in a broadcast message on Wednesday, May, 19.

Rosan said that MSMEs that already have legal status and intend to participate in the private vaccination scheme can directly register with the Indonesian business chamber. He said that the covid-19 pandemic has affected the business sector and MSME is no exception.

Therefore, he called on the MSMEs to participate in the private inoculation program, which is also known as the Gotong Royong (mutual cooperation) vaccination program through the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry official website.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/19/173001374/7000-msmes-register-for-private-covid-19-vaccination-scheme-indonesia-business.