The Danger of Spread of the Mutation Virus from India, Let’s Prevent it with 5M Discipline
By: Amelia Hasti ( Citizen of South Jakarta City)
Recently the world was shocked by the Covid-19 tsunami in India. At first the Indian Ministry of Health was confident that the status of ‘ herd immunity ‘ had been achieved in India, after August-November 2020 experienced 100,000 cases per day which made health workers inconvenient.
The implementation of a lockdown in December 2020 succeeded in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 so that the reported cases that occurred in the period December 2020-March 2021 decreased drastically and left only 10,000 cases. However, it turns out that the second wave of Covid-19 has reappeared as a result of euphoria that assumes that group immunity has been formed.
The relaxed restrictions on transportation modes, coupled with the religious ritual of bathing together in the Ganges river without implementing health protocols, have backfired.
Now there is news that there has been an exodus of Indians to Jakarta, even though as of April 25, 2021 it has been rejected. Reportedly 12 Indians who managed to enter Indonesia were positive for Covid-19, not to mention those who were not detected where they were on a plane from India to Indonesia.
Indonesian citizens must be extra vigilant, tighten the implementation of health protocols from wearing masks, keeping their distance, washing their hands diligently, and avoiding crowds.
Hopefully the Eid homecoming ban starting from 6 May 2021 can truly be obeyed by all Indonesian citizens and not crowding the local tourist spots.
We must learn from India’s bitter experience, religious rituals can result in a tsunami of Covid-19 transmission, hopefully Indonesia can avoid this disaster.
Together, we must be ready for vaccination when the time comes and stay disciplined for the 5 M health program , namely wearing masks, washing hands with soap and running water, maintaining distance, staying away from crowds, and limiting mobilization and interaction.
The government has spent a lot of funds for vaccinations and social assistance for those affected by Covid-19 to prevent an economic downturn . It is hoped that the government’s efforts will not be in vain. Therefore, the community is expected to stay in touch during Eid al- Fitr while still preventing the transmission of Covid-19.
In addition, people are also expected to think holistically for the entire nation, namely protecting Indonesia from the second wave of Covid-19 transmission, meaning that people can live happily with their families even though they are far apart. Use existing technology, let’s virtual Eid first for a pandemic-free Indonesia.
