VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. (ANTARA/Muhammad Jasuma Fadholi) - 

Vice House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad has urged the government to refuse entry to tourists from South Africa and other countries where the B.1.1.529 coronavirus variant has been detected to prevent imported cases.

The Health Ministry should promptly conduct research to find accurate information about the new variant of the coronavirus, Ahmad said in a statement released here on Friday.

“I think it is important (for the Health Ministry) to do that as part of prevention and mitigation efforts to protect the Indonesian people from the new variant of COVID-19,” he elaborated.

The Vice House Speaker said that based on the information he has received, the B.1.1.529 variant has twice as many mutations as the Delta variant.

“The government must take a firm step to prevent the entry of the B.1.1.529 variant, which is reportedly more severe than the Delta variant,” he added.

When the Delta variant spread in Indonesia, many hospitals were overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers became exhausted, medicines and oxygen became difficult to find, and many patients succumbed to the infection, he noted.

Indonesian tourists who have just returned from other countries must undergo quarantine to ensure that they are not exposed to the new variant of COVID-19, he said//ANT

Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection's Child's Right Fulfillment Department Deputy Agustina Erni. (ANTARA/ HO-KemenPPPA/FR) - 

The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection invited all Indonesian children from 34 provinces to a fun learning experience through a Virtual Education Tour in commemoration of World Children's Day celebrated on November 20.

"During the pandemic, all children should be able to learn from their homes," the Ministry's Child's Right Fulfillment Department Deputy, Agustina Erni, stated during the Virtual Education Tour press conference here on Friday.

"Hence, the ministry collaborates with Jakarta's Amateur Astronomer Association (HAAJ) to hold this activity, so that every child can receive knowledge and happily study through a virtual tour to explore space," she noted.

During the event, Indonesian children from all provinces could experience a virtual tour to explore the planetarium, learn about the solar system and sky phenomenon, as well as directly observe the sun guided by HAAJ's representatives.

Beyond educational purposes, this activity is held to nurture the spirit of Indonesian children to aim high and reach for the sky and to cultivate hope as much as possible despite the pandemic.

Erni's ministry expects that Indonesian children would become more motivated to create a better world in future while also reminding adults to participate with them.

This spirit aligns with the World Children's Day 2021 campaign that upholds the theme "A Better Future for Every Child."

"For all of you children, I hope that you would be able to learn as much as possible. Do not be shy to ask questions because this knowledge is very good to expand all of your horizons," she affirmed.

"I wish all of you Indonesian children a happy World Children's Day. Never stop learning and always be happy," she remarked//ANT

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas meets with the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (ANTARA/HO-Religious Affairs Ministry/KT) - 

Indonesian citizens can enter the Holy Land after the Government of Saudi Arabia lifted the suspension of international travel for several countries and the booster vaccine requirement, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas stated.

"There are no longer requirements for being vaccinated with the booster dose, but (umrah pilgrims) still have to comply with health protocols," Qoumas noted in a written statement received here on Friday.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia authorities only allowed entry into the Holy Land for those vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) brands.

Earlier, the authority had issued a regulation for umrah pilgrims inoculated with the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines that necessitated receiving one dose of additional injections or boosters from four vaccines recognized by the Government of Saudi Arabia.

That rule has been lifted, and foreign nationals or umrah pilgrims must undergo a five-day quarantine upon arrival in the Holy Land.

"Pilgrims have to comply with health protocols by undergoing institutional quarantine for five days. It must be obeyed together," Qoumas stated.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia's aviation authority, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has updated its international flight regulations. As of December 1, 2021, flights from Indonesia can directly fly to Saudi Arabia.

Qoumas has welcomed the new regulation issued by Saudi Arabia's aviation authority dated November 25, 2021.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), after returning from a working visit from Saudi Arabia, I received official information that starting at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, Indonesians will be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia without having to stay in a third country for 14 days," he expounded.

He noted that Indonesia was prioritized for hajj and umrah after he had attended a meeting with the Saudi hajj and umrah authority at Mecca, Monday, November 22//ANT

Pedestrians in face masks crossing a street. (Photo: Calvin Oh) - 

Singapore reported 1,670 new COVID-19 cases and eight more deaths linked to the coronavirus as of noon on Sunday (Nov 21).

The fatalities were aged between 63 and 95. All of them had various underlying medical conditions. The Ministry of Health (MOH) did not specify what those medical conditions were.

Singapore's death toll from the coronavirus now stands at 662. 

The overall intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation rate is at 52.9 per cent - the lowest since MOH started releasing this data about a month ago. 

The weekly infection growth rate rose slightly to 0.81 from Saturday's 0.78. 

The figure refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before. It has stayed below 1 for nine consecutive days.

The daily case count on Sunday is down from the 1,931 infections reported on Saturday. It is also the lowest since Sep 27.

Among the new cases, 1,657 are locally transmitted, comprising 1,577 infections in the community and 80 cases in migrant workers' dormitories.

The remaining 13 are imported cases, MOH said in its daily update released to the media at about 11.05pm. 

As of Sunday, Singapore has reported 252,188 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 1,362 cases are warded in hospital, said MOH.

Among them, 186 require oxygen supplementation in general wards, 44 patients are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU, and 60 are critically ill and intubated.

A total of 2,640 cases were discharged over the past day, of whom 448 are seniors aged 60 and above. 

As of Saturday, 94 per cent of the eligible population - those aged 12 and above - have completed their full regimen or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Twenty-three per cent have received their booster shots. 

Of the 79,364 COVID-19 cases over the last 28 days, 98.8 per cent had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic, while 0.8 per cent required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2 per cent were in the ICU and 0.2 per cent died.

MOH said it is "closely monitoring" three large clusters. 

Fully vaccinated people, including those from different households, will be able to dine together in groups of five when restrictions are eased on Monday. The limit on social gatherings and household visitors will also be raised from two to five people.

Visits to hospitals and residential care homes will also resume on Monday with "enhanced" vaccine-differentiated measures - both the hospital patient or care home resident and their visitors must be fully vaccinated//CNA