By: Achmad Faisal
The Indonesian government tirelessly continues to make maximum efforts to end the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this requires the support and cooperation of all elements of society, so that these efforts can be successful. Indonesian people must rise up, United against Covid-19.
The second wave of Covid-19 cases is in sight. On Thursday (24/6/2021), nationally positive cases of Covid-19 increased by 20,574. With this addition, the total number of positive Covid-19 cases in Indonesia has increased to 2,053,995 since it was first announced by President Joko Widodo in March 2020.
Nationally, Covid-19 cases jumped in June 2021. Chairman of the Committee for Handling Covid-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC PEN) Airlangga Hartarto explained, the trend of increasing Covid-19 cases occurred after the 2021 Eid holiday.
According to Airlangga, the increase can be seen based on the number of isolation beds and ICUs in hospitals which has soared in 4 provinces, namely DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, and East Java. DKI Jakarta Province is ranked first in the increase in cases with a number of more than 300 percent. Daily cases on June 1, 2021 were 519 cases, but as of June 12, 2021, there were 2,455 cases.
Epidemiologists said the spike in Covid-19 cases in June occurred due to neglected health protocols, new variants of the Covid-19 virus, and lax government policies.
The neglect of prokes is evident in the community. Ignoring the use of masks and not keeping a distance by gathering became a turning point for the massive transmission of the Covid-19 virus.
While the new variant of Covid-19, there are currently three variants that have entered Indonesia. The variants are Alpha, beta, and Delta.
Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated that as of June 18, 2021, 148 cases of infection with Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants had been found in six provinces in Indonesia. The Delta variant was detected in DKI Jakarta (20 cases), Central Java (75 cases), South Sumatra (3 cases), East Kalimantan (3 cases), and Central Kalimantan (3 cases). The Delta variant is said to account for the highest cases.
Beta variants were found in DKI Jakarta (4 cases) and East Java (1 case). Alpha variants were detected in Riau Islands (1 case), North Sumatra (2 cases), South Sumatra (1 case), Riau (1 case), DKI Jakarta (24 cases), Central Java (1 case), West Java (2 cases ), East Java (2 cases), Bali (1 case), and South Kalimantan (1 case).
To control the transmission of Covid-19, the government tightened the Micro-Scale PPKM with a derivative of health care discipline. In addition, the government is also accelerating the Covid-19 vaccination program to achieve herd immunity.
A number of these facts become an alarm for us to be alert again. The threat of Covid-19 which is increasingly vicious with new variants must be anticipated immediately.
Let’s together support the government by returning to the discipline of the process. Never neglect to implement prokes and contribute to the success of the Covid-19 vaccination program. For vaccinations, ignore hoaxes that contain negative messages about vaccinations. Because the vaccination itself has gone through clinical trials and passed the testing of the Indonesian Ulema Council.
Together we rise against Covid-19 for a better Indonesia.
)*The author is a former journalist
