VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, has proposed that Indonesians planning a Hajj pilgrimage be given the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure their immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus while traveling.

While attending a work meeting with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday, Qoumas said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has written to the Ministry of Health seeking vaccines for pilgrims and officials overseeing Hajj and Umrah procedures.

"Regarding the number of vaccines, the Ministry of Health can allocate vaccines for 257,540 people,” Minister Qoumas revealed.

He further explained that there are a number of considerations for placing the congregation into the priority category for COVID-19 vaccination. First, there are concerns that the Saudi Arabian authorities may not allow entry to pilgrims in 2021 if they have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Second, he said, if the congregation is not vaccinated, it will be more time-consuming for pilgrims to undertake Hajj as they will have to undergo a quarantine in Saudi and that will take time, space, and money. Third, if they are not vaccinated, the pilgrims will have to carry out a PCR swab test during quarantine, and before and upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, he noted.

"And fourth, if they are not vaccinated, it will be necessary to practice physical distancing at the embarkation, during the flight and while in Saudi Arabia and when the pilgrims arrive in the country," he added.

He said he is waiting for a response from the Minister of Health regarding the request for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to pilgrims.

The Minister of Religious Affairs said that if the Hajj quota is normal then, around 257,540 people will have to be vaccinated. This figure can be divided into 221 thousand regular and special Hajj pilgrims, 4,200 group and non-flight officers, 3,400 Hajj pilgrims across the province, and 18 thousand Hajj advisors at six thousand Religious Affairs Offices in sub-districts across Indonesia, Minister Qoumas informed.

"It also includes 10,940 committee and ritual guides for 547 districts/cities throughout Indonesia," he added. (antaranews)

The Indonesian government is currently exploring exporting electricity to Singapore as there could be potential over-capacity of power supply in the country, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, informed on Tuesday.

Speaking to legislators during a parliamentary hearing, Tasrif said Indonesia has excess power supply, especially amid the pandemic which has led to a fall in power consumption.

“We are looking at Singapore. Singapore needs to import electricity. This is what we are exploring: whether or not we may export our excess power. We could connect from Java to Sumatra, Riau then Singapore, or we could make an entry through the ASEAN Power Grid from Sumatra to the Malaysia peninsula,” Tasrif said.

The government is seeking to boost inter-islands connectivity to support the plan as well as to allow equal power supply across the country, he added.

Another option to manage the excess power supply issue is relocating existing power plants, Tasrif added. Besides, the government will continue to encourage people to use electric vehicles and stoves as part of efforts to revive power consumption, he continued.

“Relocation of existing power supply, aged 20 to 25 years, might be conducted in several places that need it the most, such as locations with smelter industry potential. Because by using coal, the cost will be cheaper, and our industry would be more competitive,” he said.

The potential over-supply could also be contributed by the 35 thousand-MW mega power plant project currently under-development and additional 7 thousand MW of power from the previous project, Tasrif said.

"(Once the project of 35,000 MW is completed), the over-supply will be in high number, around 40 to 60 percent. Thus, our margin reserve could reach 50 percent of its ideal number of 30 percent. This (export of power), indeed, should meet the solution," he noted. (antaranews)

The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team will narrow down the coverage area of its operation to locate the victims, airplane debris, and Cockpit Voice Recorder (VCR) of the crashed Sriwijaya Air SJ 182 plane.

"There are less objects for (underwater) search operation. Hence, we will narrow down the area," Director of Operation of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Brig. Gen. (Mar) Rasman stated at the Integrated SAR Command Post at the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) 2 on Tuesday.

Rasman noted that the SAR operation will be focused in an area where the team has found several objects before.

The search area will be divided into four sectors around Seribu Islands, each covering an area of 15-30 square meters.

"We will not spread out the team too far," Rasman stated while adding that some 300 divers will be involved in the operation.

As of Monday (Jan 18), the joint SAR team had retrieved human remains that were collected in 310 bags.

The team additionally found small debris of the ill-fated airplane collected in 60 bags, large-size wreckage in 55 bags, and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and CVR casing.

The SAR operation has been extended for three days until January 21, 2021

Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182, serving the Jakarta-Pontianak route, crashed in the waters off Seribu Islands, Jakarta, at around 2:40 p.m. local time on Saturday, January 9, 2021.

According to the Transportation Ministry, last contact was established with the Boeing 737-500 jet, bearing the registration number PK-CLC, at 11 nautical miles north of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after the aircraft crossed an altitude of 11 thousand feet and was ascending to 13 thousand feet.

The plane took off from the Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2:40 p.m. local time on Saturday and was scheduled to land at Supadio Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, at 3:50 p.m. local time.

The airplane carried 50 passengers, including seven children and three infants, as well as 12 crew members. (Antaranews)

COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPCPEN) Chief Airlangga Hartarto encouraged those having recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to come forward to donate their convalescent plasma to help patients infected with the virus.

"Convalescent plasma from (COVID-19) survivors is expected to curb deaths due to COVID-19 in Indonesia," Hartarto noted in a statement here on Tuesday.

In addition to inoculation, blood donation has become part of the efforts to thwart the spread of COVID-19.

Hartarto, concurrently the coordinating minister for economic affairs, became a convalescent plasma donor at the launch of the Convalescent Plasma Donation Campaign.

The minister admitted to having contracted the disease and survived.

Hartarto admitted to having made some preparations before donating his blood, including conducting routine medical check-up and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

"This is an expression of gratitude because I can survive COVID-19. By donating convalescent plasma, I hope to be able to help other patients to survive," he stated.

The minister expressed hope that other survivors across the country would follow the movement.

According to the COVID-19 Handling Task Force data, as of Monday (Jan 18), some 745,935 patients had recovered from COVID-19, while the number of active cases had reached 144,798.

"If 10 percent of the recovered patients could donate convalescent plasma, we can save 70 thousand people," Hartarto pointed out.

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has set a target to receive five thousand plasma donors per month, or 60 thousand donors annually.

Convalescent plasma from each donor can be given to some 80 patients under medical treatment.

"Based on information from Coordinating Minister for Human Empowerment and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, convalescent plasma from one donor can help the recovery of 100 asymptomatic persons and patients, with minor symptoms. For patients, with serious symptoms, one donor can save 85 patients," he added. (Antaranews)