VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto explained that Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) from 11 to 25 January 2020 will apply in DKI Jakarta and 23 districts/cities in six provinces that are at high risk of spreading COVID-19.

"The government will continue to monitor the implementation of restrictions on community activities, by conducting intensive evaluation and monitoring," said Airlangga Hartarto in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy explained that these restrictions will be carried out in DKI Jakarta, then in the provincial capitals and surrounding regencies/cities bordering high-risk provincial capitals.

The DKI Jakarta area covers the entire DKI area, then in West Java with the priority of Bogor, Bekasi, Cimahi, Bogor City, Depok City, Bekasi City, and Greater Bandung Area.

Then, in Banten Province with the priority of Tangerang Regency, Tangerang City, and South Tangerang City, then in Central Java with the priority of Semarang Raya, Banyumas Raya and Surakarta City and its surroundings.

In addition, Yogyakarta Special Region with priority is Yogyakarta City, Bantul Regency, Gunung Kidul Regency, Sleman Regency, and Kulonprogo Regency.

Furthermore, in East Java with the priority of Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Malang, and in Bali Province with the priority of Denpasar City and Badung Regency.

The implementation of the PSBB is carried out because these regions checked out on 4 parameters, namely the death rate and the active case rate, which are respectively above the national average. The recovery rate is below the national average and the hospital filling rate (BOR) for ICU and isolation is above 70 percent.

These restrictions include limiting the workplace/office work by implementing Work From Home (WFH) of 75 by imposing stricter health protocols.

School activities move to online. Essential sectors can operate 100 percent, by regulating operating hours, capacities, and implementing more stringent health protocols.

Furthermore, restrictions on restaurant activities, dine in limited by 25 percent and for food services via take-away / take-out is still permitted according to restaurant operating hours.

Another restriction is the operating hours for shopping centers/malls only until 19.00 WIB, allowing construction activities to operate 100 percent with the application of more stringent health protocols.

Activities in places of worship can still be carried out, with a capacity limit of 50 percent with stricter health protocols, activities in public facilities, and socio-cultural activities suspended. The final limitation is the regulation of capacity and operating hours for public transportation.

Airlangga Hartarto said the governor can determine to implement these restrictions in other districts/cities in his region, taking into account the four parameters and other considerations to strengthen efforts to control COVID-19. (antaranews)

President Joko Widodo is expected to be administered a vaccination shot within a day or two after the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency's (BPOM's) issuance of the emergency-use authorization for the vaccine.

"The emergency-use authorization for the vaccine will be released by the BPOM. We expect (the authorization) to be issued in this week or the next. Within one or two days, I expect to receive the shot," the head of state remarked at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Wednesday, while adding that vaccinations will thereafter be administered to doctors and nurses.

The rest of the public will also follow suit to receive vaccinations.

The head of state is optimistic of the situation returning to normalcy following vaccinations. He also reminded that at least 70 percent of the population, or 182 million people, should be vaccinated in order to establish herd immunity.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had earlier noted that the president will possibly be vaccinated on Wednesday, January 13.

The head of state had volunteered to be the first to receive the vaccine in order to take the public into confidence over safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In terms of the technical details, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko stated that the procedure to be conducted on the president will be the same as that for the general public. (antaranews)

 Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said here on Wednesday that national health security and independence will be her two diplomatic priorities for 2021.

“Our focus is to realize the commitments on vaccines through bilateral and multilateral partnerships,” the minister said as she virtually delivered the 2021 Annual Minister of Foreign Affairs Statement (PPTM).

Besides securing vaccine supplies, Indonesia will prioritize strengthening research and transfer of technology in the public health sector, as well as increasing response and preparedness to deal with future pandemics at the national, regional, and global levels, she added.

Marsudi also highlighted the importance of increasing international participation to support national health industries, which cover pharmaceutical raw materials, pharmacy, and health tools and facilities.

The foreign minister, in her annual statement, also unveiled plans to turn Indonesia into one of the world’s leading producers of personnel protective equipment (PPEs), which are critical to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Indonesia, Marsudi announced, has collected two international certificates, ISO16603 and ISO16604, on manufacturing PPEs.

The Indonesian government last year signed multiple deals to secure vaccine supplies with China’s bio-pharmaceutical companies and a UK-based vaccine producer. Meanwhile, on the multilateral track, Indonesia has joined a global vaccine partnership, COVAX Facility, which is led by GAVI, CEPI, and the World Health Organization, the minister added. By joining COVAX, Indonesia has secured COVID-19 vaccine doses for 20 percent of its total population, she informed.

In her speech, Marsudi also mentioned Indonesia’s contribution as a member in CEPI’s Investors Council and said she expected there will be more opportunities for state-owned vaccine producer Bio Farma (Persero) and CEPI to cooperate in manufacturing vaccines for global supply.

“Indonesia, since the very beginning of the pandemic, has called for (COVID-19) vaccine as a public good and its equal, safe, and affordable access for all,” the minister highlighted in her annual statement. (antaranews)

The Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has stated that the development of the indigenous Red-and-White vaccine has reached 60 percent on the laboratory scale.

"Calculated in terms of the percentage, it is at around 60 percent, which means we are still in the process of isolating and characterizing the recombinant protein that we have designed, which will be generated by mammal cells or yeast cells," head of the institute, Amin Soebandrio, told ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to the planned schedule, the Red-and-White vaccine seeds will be submitted to PT Bio Farma in the period leading up to March, 2021, he informed.The Red-and-White vaccine developed by Eijkman is based on recombinant protein subunits and uses the SARS-CoV-2 virus isolate circulating in Indonesia. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

Soebandrio said that if the recombinant protein is successfully obtained from the expression system, the process could be taken to the preclinical testing stage involving animals.

"After (isolating and characterizing the recombinant protein) it will be tested on animals, and then submitted to Bio Farma," he stated.

Preclinical testing on animals will take about one to two months, he informed.

The challenge to developing the vaccine includes the varying speed of growth among the cells Eijkman researchers are working with, so the process needs to be followed thoroughly until the targeted recombinant protein is obtained, he explained.

After the vaccine seeds are submitted to PT Bio Farma, it will formulate the vaccine seeds so that they can be prepared for clinical trials in humans, he said.

Phase I human trials for the vaccine are scheduled to be carried out in the second trimester of 2021, he added. (antaranews)