By: Muhammad Yasin)*
The government continues to maximize the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination ahead of the XX National Sports Week (PON). This step is expected to protect residents from the transmission of Covid-19 ahead of the national sports event.
Johny G Plate as the Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) said the Covid-19 vaccination program for the four clusters of PON XX and Peparnas XVI was targeted to reach 70% by September 2021.
The government will continue to monitor the progress of the Covid-19 vaccination program in the four clusters. Johny said that vaccination will also be used as one of the requirements for people who want to watch PON XX and Peparnas XVI directly.
The government has also ensured the availability of vaccines in four clusters of PON XX and Peparnas XVI Papua in order to meet existing needs. In addition, the government has prepared health workers to support the vaccination program. Therefore, there is no reason for people in Papua not to be vaccinated.
Vaccination is expected to help ensure the health of all parties involved so as not to give rise to new clusters of Covid-19. Vaccines are certainly needed to increase immunity, protect yourself and your family, and reduce severe symptoms of Covid-19.
Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali explained about the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination for athletes. He said he had requested as many as 5,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for national athletes to the health ministry. On the occasion of the virtual conference, Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Zainudin Amali explained related to the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination for athletes. He said he had requested as many as 5,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for national athletes to the Ministry of Health.
The Covid-19 vaccination for athletes in the first stage is prioritized for athletes who are in Jakarta, preparing to compete. Furthermore, the Ministry of Youth and Sports also coordinates with the Regional Health Office for Covid-19 vaccinations for athletes who are returning to their hometowns.
On a different occasion, the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the Covid-19 vaccination for athletes was prioritized for those who would compete in the international and domestic arena. This statement was made by Minister of Health Budi Sadikin when he reviewed the implementation of vaccinations for athletes, coaches and support staff at Istora Senayan.
The Ministry of Health will also accelerate COVID-19 vaccination in a number of cities/districts in Papua. This aims to support the implementation of PON XX on October 2-15, 2021. For information, PON XX 2021 will be held on October 2-5, 2021. There are 37 branches and 10 expedition branches that will be competed.
Because the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing, KONI Chair Marciano Norman requested that everyone involved in the implementation of the 2021 PON XX must have been vaccinated. He also admitted that he was optimistic that the situation and conditions at the location of the XX 2021 PON event would be conducive. The locations in question include Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Mimika Regency and Merauke Regency.
For Papua, PON is a very important event, because this event will of course be an added value for equitable development in Papua to equitable economic development in Papua. Because the success of PON is not only a matter of successful implementation and successful achievements.
PON XX will be enlivened with 37 sports, 56 sports disciplines, 679 match numbers and 6,442 athletes. All athletes are expected to perform optimally in order to set a new record. In addition, the most prestigious multievent in Indonesia is not only about competition, but also a show-off event for athletes from Cenderawasih Earth to be known internationally.
The Indonesian Navy (Navy) also does not remain silent, to speed up vaccinations the Navy has deployed KRI Soeharso or a hospital ship to serve the acceleration of Covid-19 vaccination at the PON venue, because so far the area has low vaccination rates. In addition to alerting ships, the Indonesian Navy is also preparing health workers in the hope that before PON, many people will get the Covid-19 vaccine.
In the context of accelerating vaccination, the Indonesian Navy has temporarily suspended its military training and focused on the implementation of accelerated vaccination in order to support the government’s program to immediately realize herd immunity.
Vaccination is expected to make PON and Peparnas in Papua more lively, because with vaccination, people who have received the vaccine can witness firsthand the athletes competing.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students