VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Presidential Staff Office hosting an event in Salatiga, Central Java. (ANTARA/HO-KSP) - 

The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) reminded people to stay alert despite the current COVID-19 situation being under control, as the threat of a third wave was still lurking, especially during the year-end holidays.

"The government has no intention to scare (you) but to raise vigilance (instead). The government is studying existing cases from other countries that were affected first and we do not want (such) conditions to happen again in Indonesia," KSP Senior Advisor Abraham Wirotomo said in a statement here on Saturday.

​​He also encouraged attendees at the "Presidential Staff Office Listens" event in Salatiga, Central Java to push for cooperation between the government and the community to prevent the third wave. The attendees comprised 68 representatives of community, religious, and youth organizations of Salatiga City.

"Conditions leading up to Christmas and New Year are very dynamic. There are many changes that make the government to adjust policies. We are here to listen to inputs from the community. As the president said, people's views must be heard because Indonesia cannot possibly succeed in fighting the pandemic without the community's support," he elaborated.

The office regularly hosts such an event in regions as a part of their functions to support the management of political communication strategies and information dissemination that encompasses the delivery of data analysis and strategic information in order to back decision-making processes.

The event was conducted to facilitate the people of Salatiga to voice their aspirations. Salatiga City has become an example for COVID-19 control.

However, last week, the city was taken aback by the surfacing of a COVID-19 cluster in an elementary school where dozens of teachers and students got infected. The Salatiga government also decided to stop limited face-to-face learning at the school.

"It has been three months since we recorded zero deaths due to COVID-19 as well as new cases. Salatiga is known to be quick to trace close contacts. However, it must be admitted that there are still many people, who do not want to be examined despite close contact with COVID-19 patients," Head of the Salatiga Healh Office Siti Zuraidah admitted//ANT