Wearing Mask, Vaccination Protect People against Covid-19 in Indonesia: Minister

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia maintains a steady state of low-level in Covid-19 cases after the country hit a record high of coronavirus infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant in July last year.

The public practices protective behaviors to stem the spread of the coronavirus by following the health protocols and getting vaccinated, while the government ensures everyone has access to a Covid-19 vaccine amid the new omicron variant concerns.

Speaking to Kompas.com recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi lauded the effort of the people to wear masks and step forward to the vaccination centers to reduce the spread of the disease in the country.

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“Wearing masks and getting vaccinated give big contribution to our effort in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases,” Retno told Kompas.com in the interview during which she shared her views on Indonesia’s G20 presidency this year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also tasked with securing sufficient vaccines through diplomacy and negotiations. The ministry also called for equitable Covid-19 vaccine access for every country. Indonesia has managed to get access to vaccines through a bilateral and dose-sharing mechanism.

Retno recalled that on July 15, 2021, Indonesia reached a peak of 56,757 new Covid-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, and still in the same year on Dec. 29, the number significantly dropped to 194 or down 99.6 percent.

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“We will not boast about things [that have been done]. But, perhaps this is the best practice we can share with others that Indonesia can handle the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

The minister also said that besides the ministry of health, the military and police also help to accelerate the mass vaccination program in the country.

Retno added that according to health ministry data as of Dec. 22 last year, the national vaccination program in Indonesia reached 40 percent of the population, achieving the WHO targets to vaccinate 40 percent of the population by the end of 2021.

Indonesia, one of the world’s most populous countries, has pledged to inoculate over 208 million of its 270 million people.