VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture has asked the community to strengthen the implementation of the health protocols ahead of the year-end holidays to stem the spread of COVID-19.

"Epidemiologically, toward the year-end holidays, there is usually an increase in mobility, so from now on, it is better to strengthen the health protocols," the ministry's deputy for health quality improvement and population development Agus Suprapto said when contacted on Wednesday.

He explained that when there is an increase in people's mobility, the potential for disease spread is also expected to rise.

"When people's mobility is high, the risk of disease transmission can increase. Not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases such as ARI (acute respiratory infection) or tuberculosis," he said.

To this end, the wise step that people can take is to strengthen the implementation of the health protocols, he added.

Apart from strengthening the health protocols, people who have not taken the primary and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine must immediately get vaccinated, Suprapto said.

He also advised older adults with comorbidities not to delay vaccinations so that they can get optimal protection against the virus.

"Those who have not received primary vaccinations, get vaccinated immediately; those who have not received booster vaccination, get vaccinated immediately; and older adults who have not received the second booster dose or the fourth vaccine dose, please get vaccinated immediately," he said.

The deputy highlighted that the pandemic is not yet over, therefore, people must still pay attention to the health protocols and vaccinations.

He affirmed that the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is continuously encouraging the community to play an active role in preventing COVID-19 transmission.

The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of December 7, the nation has recorded 6,689,532 COVID-19 cases, 6,481,690 recoveries, and 160,112 deaths. (Antaranews)