VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) chairperson Jusuf Kalla, after a meeting with the Health Ministry, has announced that COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered in mosques starting April, 2021.

“Two nights ago, I made an agreement with the Health Ministry so that vaccinations can be organized in mosques,” he stated in a press release issued in Mataram on Tuesday.

To aid vaccinations, the selected mosques must be large, supported by sufficient infrastructure, and be spacious enough to prevent crowding that could occur during the process, Kalla, the former Indonesian Vice President and head of Indonesian Red Cross, added.

“As long as the mosques have good facilities and equipment, such as a hall, hallway, large yard, and rooms for vaccination,” he said.

If vaccination is only administered in cities, the target for vaccinating one million people a day will be hard to reach, Kalla remarked.

On the other hand, he added, the target needs to be achieved to build herd immunity against COVID-19.

Thus, thousands of venues that the public can easily access are needed, he noted. Those venues should have supporting facilities for vaccinations, and mosques can meet that need, he pointed out.

“We need to move fast to build immunity, so we can live normally again, no need to keep on wearing masks. It can happen if we vaccinate one million people a day,” Kalla remarked. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Chief of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), Jusuf Kalla, has said that mosques across the country will be opened for tarawih prayer during the fasting month of Ramadan under stringent health protocols.

"We have allowed mosques in all regions to be opened, but still maintaining physical distancing (has been advised)," Kalla said after a meeting with West Nusa Tenggara Governor here on Tuesday.

This year, Ramadan will again be observed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the situation has changed from the previous year, when Moslems were asked to perform prayers at home, he added.

“But, it is still on the condition that people will wear masks. This is the difference from the previous (Ramadan). As malls are opened, why shouldn't we open mosques," he remarked.

Kalla stressed on strict implementation of health protocols, including physical distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and all worshippers bringing their own mats.

Mosque supervisors can bar people from entering the mosque, if they do not adhere to the health protocols, he said.

Kalla also called on supervisors to disinfect mosques.

"Public places and malls are being opened by applying stringent health protocols, and so will the mosques," he said. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Indonesia is among the countries most vulnerable to biopiracy on account of its rich biodiversity, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Siregar has said.

"As one of the 10 biodiversity-rich countries, Indonesia is vulnerable to biopiracy, wherein our biological resources can be taken by foreign researchers or other foreign institutions," Siregar cautioned during a discussion on genetic resources protection, organized by the Environment and Forestry Ministry here on Tuesday.

He said biopiracy could further lead to submission of patent applications by foreign institutions for commercial purposes.

Many biodiversity-rich countries are developing economies and this situation has prompted some parties in developed nations to seek genetic resources from developed countries to meet their economic goals, he added.

Indonesia has ratified the Nagoya Protocols on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization. The protocols regulate the use and global trade of biodiversity, including benefit sharing, mutual benefit transfer agreement, notification to stakeholders, and transfer of technology.

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework would be adopted in the second semester of 2021 to strengthen international actions to reach the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Siregar informed.

Meanwhile, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya emphasized the importance of protecting the country's genetic resources as they are connected directly to Indonesia's geo-strategy, geo-politic, and geo-economy.

Nurbaya said Indonesia's inability to manage its biodiversity would be a challenge for the country, while many foreign parties with advanced technology are keen to utilize its genetic resources.

"We must protect Indonesia's genetic resource potential and prevent it from being transferred to foreign parties without government approval," she added. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. The Social Affairs Ministry administered COVID-19 vaccines to 1,121 civil servants and non-civil service staff, in cooperation with the Health Ministry, on Tuesday.

"We thank the Health Ministry for providing the second vaccination for civil servants and the first vaccination for non-civil service government employees," chief of the COVID-19 Task Force at the Social Affairs Ministry, Sonny W. Manalu, said.

The civil servants who received the vaccination included middle-ranking officials, members of ministerial special staff, and the technical team. The remaining were employees of the secretariat general, inspectorate general, directorate general of social protection and security, and directorate general of social empowerment, he informed.

"Tomorrow, (the vaccination program) will cover employees of working units and the directorate general of social rehabilitation, social education, training and counseling board, directorate-general for the handling of the poor, technical operation units within the directorate general of social rehabilitation at the Social Affairs Ministry," he said.

After receiving her second vaccine shot during Tuesday’s program, 28-year-old civil servant Tyas said she suffered no side-effects.

"Like in the first vaccination, I felt nothing but only soreness on the injected part of my body,” she added.

The vaccination of employees at the ministry was the result of cooperation with Ciputra Hospital Citra Garden City and the Jakarta Provincial Health Office, said Manalu. (Antaranews)