VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of State Secretary Pratikno. (ANTARA/Muchlis Jr - Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat/pri) - 

Minister of State Secretary Pratikno has revealed that events to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia this year will be moved to digital platforms. 

"In 2021, the expression of independence celebrations will move to digital platforms. Various activities will focus more on virtual activities so that people can feel new experiences," he said at an online press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

The Rumah Digital Indonesia channel www.rumahdigitalindonesia.id has planned activities around Indonesia's independence from August 1 to August 31, 2021, he informed.

The theme for this year's Independence Day is "Indonesia Resilient, Indonesia Grows", he said.

This year's proclamation and flag-lowering ceremonies will have limited attendance under the strict implementation of the health protocols, he added.

The public will be able to join the ceremonies through online platforms, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Flag Hoisting Team (Paskibraka) will make a complete 17-8-45 formation by implementing strict health protocols right from the time of regional selections, quarantining and training to performing at the Merdeka Palace.

The distance between the troops in the line will also be widened and there will be a number of other technical adjustments, Pratikno said.

Several competitions, stage entertainments, art performances, and other activities will not only be held on 17 August, 2021, but also during August, the Independence Month, he added.

"The Indonesian Digital House (Rumah Digital Indonesia/RDI) becomes a meeting place for digital technology advances with the spirit of our nationalism as a nation that is strong and continues to grow, to transcend existing physical boundaries," Pratikno remarked.

Rumah Digital Indonesia will broadcast a series of commemoration ceremonies for the 76th Independence Day, art performances, entertainment programs, conduct special games, digitally market superior micro, small and medium business products, and hold other activities online, he informed.

Guidelines for commemorative events are available for download on the website www.setneg go.id, he said.

The implementation of the commemoration of the 76th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia can be adjusted to the pandemic situation in each region by implementing strict health protocols, Pratikno said.

The public is expected to actively participate by installing the logo and theme of the 76th Independence Day and its derivatives in public places, transportation infrastructures, and various media channels, he added//ANT

Dayak indigenous community in Meratus Mountains, South Kalimantan. (ANTARA PHOTO/Bayu Pratama S/rwa) - 

The requirement of a national identification number for receiving COVID-19 vaccines is impeding vaccinations among indigenous communities residing in the interiors of the country or on remote islands, an organization representing the communities has said.

"For the indigenous community, extra effort is needed for them to apply for ID number even in normal times. During the pandemic, applying for ID number has become more difficult than ever," secretary general of the Alliance for Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN), Rukka Sombolinggi, said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

As of July 21, 2021, only 468,963 out of the estimated 40-70 million members of indigenous communities have registered for vaccinations, and just 20 thousand have received the first vaccine dose, she informed.

"Limitations of vaccination access and lack of personal ID number are the main cause of low vaccination registration rate (among indigenous communities)," she said.

Given their isolated and remote locations, indigenous communities remained protected during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic due to their self-subsisting nature and minimal interaction with outsiders, Sombolinggi pointed out.

But, with the appearance of more transmissible COVID-19 virus variants, positive cases have been recorded among the indigenous communities, she said.

Health Ministry's COVID-19 vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said her staff has received grievances from indigenous communities concerning the ID criteria, and follow-up actions are under consideration.

"Follow-up actions are currently under consideration between the Home Affairs Ministry and the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan)," she informed.

Tarmizi said the requirement for ID numbers is necessary for ensuring vaccine distribution accountability and controlling the fluctuating vaccine supply.

"Current vaccine distribution depends on population records of a province, and identity of the vaccine recipients should also be reported (to the government)," she explained.

According to health science expert at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Indonesia (FKUI), Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, most countries of the world have applied ID card requirements for vaccine recipients.

"From what I know, in several countries, vaccine recipients should show their ID card before receiving the vaccine. But it is clear when more residents vaccinated, the better," Prof. Aditama stated.

ID numbers are mandated under Article 6 Paragraph 3 of the Health Ministry Regulation No. 10/2021 on vaccination implementation in a pandemic situation, he pointed out.

Besides ID numbers, the regulation stipulates the vaccination report should also include vaccine quantity, recipient name, and address information, he added//ANT

A Jakarta resident is conducting self-isolation. ANTARA FOTO/ Reno Esnir/hp - 

The Jakarta administration has urged residents who are self-isolating at home to report their health condition to COVID-19 Task Force personnel and heads of their neighborhood units (RT).

"We want all self-isolating residents to be transparent about their health condition and situation they are facing," Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said here Friday.

By maintaining the principle of transparency, those with COVID-19 symptoms who are currently conducting self-isolation at home could easily be monitored and assisted by the authorities through their RT heads, he said.

Instead, it would be difficult for the authorities to monitor the self-isolating COVID-19 patients if they intended to keep their true health conditions a secret, he said.

It would be more difficult to monitor the condition of those conducting self-isolation at home, though the authorities had coordinated with local public health centers, RT heads, and the patients' families.

Therefore, Patria reiterated his request for self-isolating residents to report their health condition and situation transparently and honestly to the COVID-19 Task Force and their RT heads.

As of Friday, there have been 184 centralized self-isolation sites that are able to accommodate 26,134 patients in Jakarta. The government provides them with all needed facilities, including medicines, vitamins, and doctors.

According to citizen reporting platform LaporCovid-19, there had been 1,161 deaths related to residents conducting self-isolation outside hospitals in Jakarta.

The deaths were counted from June 2021based upon data released by the Jakarta administration. Some 403 of the 1,161 self-isolating residents who succumbed to the coronavirus were from East Jakarta.

The remaining number of deaths was contributed by South Jakarta (290), North Jakarta (207), Central Jakarta (162), and West Jakarta (156), LaporCovid-19 reported.

Jakarta has experienced the COVID-19 surge over the past few weeks, but Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said early this week that the critical condition in the capital city had shown signs of easing, with daily active cases declining.

Apart from the improving development, he urged local residents to maintain the positive momentum by consistently complying with the government's health protocols//ANT

A screenshot of Vice Chairwoman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Shinta Kamdani during the arrival of Sinopharm vaccines on Monday (July 19, 2021). (ANTARA/Youtube Sekretariat Presiden/RA) - 

As many as 1,500,000 doses, contained in 750,000 vials of Sinopharm vaccines, arrived in Indonesia on Friday (July 30), bringing the total to 7,500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines having been received by the country.

Deputy State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Pahala Mansury explained that the vaccine's arrival was meant to support the Gotong Royong vaccination program, which is an additional option for employees in accessing vaccines and supporting the national vaccination target of administering 2 million doses per day.

"The Gotong Royong vaccination program is based on the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, which can help ease the funding burden of the Indonesian government," Mansury said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.

He added that the presence of the Sinopharm vaccine and other vaccine brands is evidence of the government's efforts in providing vaccines for citizens.

According to Mansury, all the vaccine brands received by Indonesia are guaranteed to be safe and will continue to be monitored by the government.

The Deputy Minister said he hoped that people would not hesitate to get vaccinated, as vaccinations are one of the most crucial efforts in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The public is also requested to take care of their health, strictly follow health protocols and comply with the established policies to help decrease the  COVID-19 transmission rate.

The arrival of Sinopharm's vaccine is part of the vaccine supply contract between Kimia Farma and Sinopharm to provide 15 million vaccine doses for the Gotong Royong vaccination program, which targets injecting 20 million doses.

Vice Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Shinta Kamdani praised the government's commitment to meeting vaccination needs of the citizens, especially business practitioners and workers, through the Gotong Royong vaccines.

She said that Kadin is committed to helping the government and the public suppress the transmission of the COVID-19 virus by launching the Kadin War Against the Pandemic program through the use of vaccinations, medical equipment supplies, oxygen, basic necessities, and medicines.

"This is all our effort to help the Government in handling the pandemic. I believe we can rise and get through the health crisis towards economic recovery by uniting as one," Kamdani stated//ANT