VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Security staff stand guard at the entrance of the Athletes Village, where a person has tested positive for COVID-19, ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan July 17, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon - 

Tokyo Olympics organisers on Sunday reported the first COVID-19 cases among competitors residing in the athletes' village, as its population swells ahead of the start of the pandemic-hit Games next week.

Two athletes from the same country and competing in the same sport staying in the village in the Harumi waterfront district tested positive for the virus, organisers said without providing further details.

An International Olympic Committee member from South Korea tested positive for the coronavirus on landing in Tokyo. Ryu Seung-min, a former Olympic athlete, is vaccinated, reflecting the infection risk even from vaccinated attendees.

The new infections are testing organisers' layered testing regime designed to ensure COVID cases are quickly caught and isolated. Proponents argue that the growing number of cases underscores the strength of the testing system.

Infection rates are climbing among Tokyo's general population, topping 1,000 new cases for four consecutive days. Polls show many Japanese oppose holding the Games with the influx of overseas visitors it entails.

The rainy season ended in Tokyo on Friday, bringing blue skies and intense heat. The burden on participants has been increased by virus countermeasures like masking.

"While we have been dealing with COVID matters, we haven't taken our focus off the heat," said Dr David Hughes, chief medical officer at the Australian Olympic Committee.

Officials point to heat countermeasures including the distribution of drinks and salt tablets and the use of misting towers and cooling vests.

The delayed Olympics was intended to showcase a modern, diverse Japan at a time of rising regional rivalries but the pandemic has left the country hosting a pared down event.

BIN Chief Budi Gunawan reviews the implementation of door-to-door vaccination activity in Mekarsari Village, West Bandung, West Java Province, on July 18, 2021 - 

BIN, Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency, conducted door-to-door vaccination drive against COVID-19 in six provinces in Indonesia on Sunday.

"Today, in accordance with the President's directives, BIN is holding door-to-door vaccinations for the public and students in remote areas of six provinces," General (retired) Budi Gunawan, Head of BIN, said while reviewing the activity in Mekarsari Village, Ngamprah Sub-district, West Bandung District, West Java, Sunday.

In addition to West Bandung, other regions hosting the door-to-door vaccination activities were Central Java, Banten, East Kalimantan, Riau and South Sulawesi.

In the six provinces, he said, BIN was targeting to administer COVID-19 vaccine jabs to some 10,000 people.

Budi Gunawan said his agency hoped to help the government's policy to accelerate the implementation of the national vaccination program to reach up to 3 million doses per day.

"Hence, the target of developing a herd immunity by reaching 70 percent (of the population) could be achieved by the end of 2021," he said in a press release.

In addition to vaccination activities, BIN also provided social assistance comprising 10,000 packages of basic food and vitamins for residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the six provinces.

"Let's continue to abide by the health protocols and pray that this pandemic will end soon," Budi Gunawan said//ANT

Vice President Maruf Amin. (ANTARA/RR/SK-BPMI, Setwapres) - 

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin urged people to slaughter sacrificial animals (Qurban) of Idul Adha at slaughterhouse (RPH) in attempts to shun the crowds during the enforcement of emergency restriction of movements (PPKM) amid the COVID-19 case spike.

Amin has also asked all ulemas, clerics, and religious figures in the regions to disseminate the information to public so they could implement the directives.

“This is our responsibilities as ulemas who certainly have the duty (of disseminating the information),” Amin noted in a press statement here on Sunday.

The Qurban beneficiaries should stay at home while waiting for the meat to be distributed to them, he said adding that Qurban should be distributed by personnel by observing to health protocols strictly.

The Vice President will conduct hybrid meetings with Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, representatives of the Indonesian Ulema council (MUI) and Islamic mass organizations to discuss about the provision on sacrificial animal slaughtering and meat distribution to the needy people on Sunday night.

Amin earlier urged ulemas and regional administration heads to discuss about the adjustment on Muslims’ mass prayers during the emergency restrictions.

“Ulemas in the regions can discuss about it with regional administration heads, Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda), along with MUI on how it should be adjusted in the field,” he outlined.

He called on the ulemas and Islamic figures not to force mass prayer pertaining to Idul Adha  at mosques or  public spaces during the restriction implementation.

“I ask (you) to not perform mass prayer since some residents in some regions are emotionally insisting on performing Idul Adha mass prayer in open space, despite the danger,” he said.

Takbiran (chanting Allahuakbar on Eid eve), Idul Adha prayer, and qurban slaughter are suspended in a bid to curb the COVID-19 transmission rate across the regions. The  slaughtering is suggested to be conducted at slaughterhouse (RPH) or in the large field, for non-RPH areas, by adhering to stringent health protocols and without the presence of qurban givers or beneficiries//ANT

A screenshot of a press conference on evaluation of the restriction of movement policy. (ANTARA/HO-Kemensos) - 

The Ministry of Social Affairs with the cooperation of the National Logistic Agency (Bulog) were distributing a total of 200 million kilograms of rice to 10 million beneficiary families (KPM) under the Family Hope Program (PKH), and another 10 million beneficiaries under the Cash Social Assistance (BST) program.

Each beneficiary received 10 kg of rice to help them cope with the impact of emergency restriction of movement being imposed to curb the COVID-19 spread, Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini said in a statement here on Sunday.

The ministry also distributed five kilograms of rice to each individual informal sector worker unable to work due to the impact of the emergency restriction. they included street vendors, small shop owners, motorcycle taxi drivers, and freelancers in Java and Bali.

“The data on the recipients of the five kilograms of rice aid are obtained from the local governments. Recipients are those who do not receive or are not recipients of the three types of regular social assistance, namely PKH, Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) / Basic Food Cards and BST," she said.

The rice assistance has been distributed in districts and cities on the islands of Java and Bali since early July 2021.

The ministry provided 3,000 packages of five kilograms each for 122 districts and cities, and 6,000 packages of five kilograms each for six provincial capitals on the two islands affected by the restriction.

The Ministry of Social Affairs also disbursed BST assistance for 10 million beneficiary households during May-June, while 18.8 million families under the BPNT/Basic Food Card programs received additional aid for July and August.

The ministry has allocated budges for PKH amounted to Rp28.3 trillion and for BPNT/Basic Food Card at Rp42.3 trillion being channeled through state-owned banks.

For BST, a budget of Rp. 15.1 trillion was distributed by PT Pos Indonesia.

"With this social assistance, it is hoped that it will increase people's purchasing power," Rismaharini said//ANT