VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A pharmacy displays a sign to inform customers that Rapid Antigen Test kits are sold out in Sydney, Australia, Jan 5, 2022. (Photo: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy) - 

Australia recorded 43 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday (Feb 19), as it readies to welcome international tourists on Monday for the first time in nearly two years.

The country, which shut its borders in March of 2020, has been gradually reopening since November, allowing first Australians to travel, then international students and workers, and now leisure travellers.

Once a champion of a zero-COVID-19 strategy, the country has moved to live with the coronavirus in the community, chiefly through high vaccination rates that have resulted in less severe cases and fewer hospitalisations.

Even Western Australia, the mining-heavy state that has kept strict borders controls for almost 700 days, has decided it can cope with the Omicron outbreak and will reopen to triple-vaccinated visitors.

The state on Saturday recorded 257 new community infections, its highest yet, and no deaths. Australia's deaths were reported mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, states that continue to see several thousand daily cases or more.

Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, will open a new quarantine hub for unvaccinated international residents on Monday.

"The Omicron variant has shown us we must continue to be flexible in our pandemic response - and the purpose-built (hub) will be vital to how we manage pandemics today and into the future," Lisa Neville, the state's police minister responsible for quarantining, said on Saturday.

Fully vaccinated travellers, Australians and international, are not required to quarantine in managed facilities.

New Zealand, Australia's closest neighbour, which keeps its international borders nearly fully shut, recorded 1,901 community cases, one of its highest daily tallies.

The two are among the most highly vaccinated countries, with more than 94 per cent of people aged 16 and over double-dosed in Australia and 94 per cent of those 12 and older fully vaccinated in New Zealand//CNA

FILE PHOTO: Liat Ashkenazi-Hoffnung, who heads the post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) clinic at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, speaks with the mother of Noa, a 10-year-old Israeli girl suffering from Long Covid, in Petah Tikva, Israel December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Corinna Kern - 

President Joe Biden said on Friday (Feb 18) the U.S. national emergency declared in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended beyond Mar 1 due to the ongoing risk to public health posed by the coronavirus.

Biden said the deaths of more than 900,000 Americans from COVID-19 emphasised the need to respond to the pandemic with "the full capacity" of the federal government.

Former President Donald Trump had declared a national emergency almost two years ago to free up US$50 billion in federal aid.

"There remains a need to continue this national emergency," Biden said in a letter on Friday to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate.

The letter was released by the White House.

The emergency would have been automatically terminated unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the president sent a notice to the Congress stating it is to continue beyond the anniversary date.

Biden's step to extend the emergency comes even as a slew of local leaders in the United States are dialing back pandemic restrictions as the Omicron wave ebbs.

The governors of New York and Massachusetts announced last week that they would end certain mask mandates in their states, following similar moves by New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon.

U.S. health officials said earlier this week they were preparing for the next phase of the pandemic as Omicron-related cases decline//CNA

Governor of Bank Indonesia Perry Warjiyo during the G20 Indonesia Presidency Agenda, Jakarta, Saturday (2/19/2022). ANTARA/AstridFaidlatulHabibah - 

Policy normalization that will be conducted by developed countries, such as the United States and Europe, will affect the recovery process in several developing countries, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo stated.

"The biggest risk from the macroeconomic and monetary policy is the normalization process," the BI governor noted at the G20 Indonesia Presidency Agenda here on Saturday.

Warjiyo pointed out that several developed countries had recovered and would soon start to normalize their policies. However, there are still several developing countries, including Indonesia, which are just starting their economic recovery.

The normalization process caused the global economic recovery and monetary policy to be out of sync, thereby creating several new problems, especially for developing countries.

In the meantime, apart from policy normalization, other risks still loom large over the recovery process, such as the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, supply chain disruption, and energy issues.

Hence, Warjiyo emphasized that the policy normalization process should be integrated and coordinated, so that recovery runs in a balanced manner, both for developed and developing countries.

The BI governor pressed for developed and developing countries as well as international organizations, especially the IMF, to work together to normalize policies.

"Hence, we need to emphasize the importance of being well-calibrated, well-planned, and well-communicated," he stressed//ANT

Central Lombok District Head, H. Lalu Pathul Bahri (middle), in the L'Etape Indonesia by Tour de France press conference in Mandalika, Saturday (February 19, 2022). (ANTARA/Akhyar/KT) - 

L'Etape Indonesia by Tour de France scheduled to be held in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone on Sunday, February 20, 2022, will drive the local economy post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Central Lombok District Head, H. Lalu Pathul Bahri, made the statement at the L'Etape Indonesia Lombok press conference in West Nusa Tenggara on Saturday.

"Some 1,308 cyclists will be present at the cycling race in Mandalika, as the racers need food, beverages, transportation, and accommodation. Moreover, it is important to drive the local economy," Bahri remarked.

The sports tourism event will have a major positive impact on the people of Central Lombok, as money circulation was estimated to reach Rp5 billion and can boost the region's income and improve the MSMEs' economy.

Bahri stated that L'Etape event coincides with the Bau Nyale festival in Seger Beach in addition to the MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit that has hugely supported the communities.

"All the events aim to support the local economy. If there is no problem, then the activities can run safely and smoothly," he remarked.

Event Director of L'Etape Indonesia by Tour de France Zacky Badruddin stated that L'Etape is held in 21 countries, and in the Indonesia First Edition, the number of participants that had registered totalled 1,308 riders comprising Indonesians and foreign tourists that had settled in Indonesia.

"Mandalika has huge potential for sports tourism, as it has beautiful hills, beaches, and roads," Badruddin stated.

Cycling racers will start in Mandalika and pass through a bypass road, Sade, Selong Belanak, and Torok Aik Belek and thereafter return back to Mandalika.

"The race will be divided into two categories based on distance, specifically 124 km and 84 km," he added.

The cycling race is held amid the pandemic, so COVID-19 health protocols are being implemented and the CHSE standardization is being followed. All participants will undergo swab antigen testing//ANT