By: Sulaiman Al Jindan
The public is asked to be aware of the third wave of Covid-19 in line with the relaxation of community activities. The public is also asked to always obey Prokes and follow the vaccination program to prevent the potential third wave.
The Covid-19 Handling Task Force (SATGAS) asked the government and the public to learn from other countries that are facing a surge in Covid-19 cases. We need to know, a number of countries have achieved high vaccination coverage. Such as Singapore (79%), Finland (73%), UK (71%), Japan (66%) and the United States (63%).
However, these countries are now experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases. This is due to the relaxation of community activities in public spaces, as well as the decline in community discipline towards health protocols.
Spokesman for the Covid-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said in a virtual press conference, “There is a spike in cases in this highly vaccinated country, because the country focuses more on strengthening 3T and increasing vaccination, but focuses less on health protocols. This seems to have happened in Singapore.
Finally, in Singapore, a new cluster of COVID-19 has emerged. For example, restaurant clusters, karaoke clusters, mall clusters, to bus terminal clusters. Finland is experiencing a similar situation, which has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Previously, a new cluster was found from the Finnish football team that came from Russia, without undergoing a screening test first. People in Finland also tend not to respond to tracing efforts by the government. Thus, hampering the tracking and handling of Covid-19 cases from an early stage.
In the UK, a new cluster of COVID-19 has emerged after face-to-face learning was held in a number of schools. Then in Japan there is a cluster or additional Covid-19 cases related to the Olympics. Although there are strict restrictions, it does not seem to have a significant impact on the pattern of community social activities.
The same thing happened in the United States. The high coverage of Covid-19 vaccination, apparently not accompanied by good health protocol supervision. The use of masks is also not mandatory in several public places, so that it is one of the factors for the increase in Covid-19 cases.
He explained, it is important to understand that the target of vaccination during a pandemic is to build community immunity. The immunity is only fully formed if all of them have received a complete dose of vaccination.
Wiku said that we cannot be complacent and feel safe just because we have received the vaccine, especially if there is the first dose of vaccine. Endemics can be achieved if the increase in vaccination coverage is accompanied by other collective efforts, namely the supervision of health protocols, to community compliance.
Meanwhile, the Association of Indonesian Hospitals (PERSI) requested that all hospitals that become referrals for Covid-19 patients are always on standby in preparing for a spike in cases. This is useful to anticipate the potential third wave of Covid-19 in Indonesia.
Lia Gardenia as Secretary General of Persi said, we need to learn from previous experiences, Indonesia has the potential to experience a spike in Covid-19 three months after neighboring countries experience a spike. According to him, Covid-19 cases found in face-to-face learning (PTM) in schools could be a serious threat to the Covid-19 spike.
On the occasion of the hearing (RDP) which was broadcast through the YouTube channel of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission IX, Lia said that her party had to anticipate because there could be a third wave that could enter, because our neighbors Singapore and Malaysia are starting to increase again even though there, vaccinations are already high. Lia said that her party had organized competent human resources in each work function. He also asked each hospital to be able to properly calculate the conversion of beds so that there would be no “confusion” when Covid-19 patients spiked again.
Not only that, he has also warned all hospitals to properly prepare medical devices, drugs, and oxygen so that stocks can be managed properly. Thus, there will be no shortage of logistics in the event of a third wave of COVID-19 in Indonesia. He also highlighted a number of government guidelines which he said should be revised. Lia said, in some cases the hospital had to use Covid-19 drugs which were not in the government guidelines.
Vigilance is clearly absolutely necessary, especially since the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia has not yet come out of the danger zone, even though the number of daily Covid-19 cases in Indonesia has decreased in recent weeks.
(The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute)
