VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo asked related government officials to prepare a detailed plan for the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination within two weeks.

"So when the vaccine is available, we are ready to implement it directly," he said in a virtual limited meeting regarding the Report of the Committee on Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.

"The vaccination plan have to be planned in detail as early as possible," the President said.

He said that vaccination planning must include the timing, location, implementing agency, and vaccination targets.

Indonesia has two choices of sources for the COVID-19 vaccine, the first is the Merah Putih vaccine, which is being developed by the Ministry of Research and Technology, the National Research and Innovation Agency, and the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology.

The Ministry of Research and Technology hopes that mass production of the Merah Putih vaccine can begin in late 2021.

The second option is the vaccine produced in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies from other countries, namely vaccines produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, vaccines in collaboration with Sinopharm and Group 42 from the United Arab Emirates, and a vaccine from a collaboration between Genexine from South Korea and PT Kalbe Farma. (Antaranews)

The global death toll from COVID-19 could double to 2 million before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic, an official at the World Health Organization said on Friday.
“Unless we do it all, (2 million deaths) ... is not only imaginable, but sadly very likely,” Mike Ryan, head of the U.N. agency’s emergencies program, told a briefing on Friday.

The number of deaths about nine months since the novel coronavirus was discovered in China is nearing 1 million.

“We are not out of the woods anywhere, we are not out of the woods in Africa,” said Ryan.

He said young people should not be blamed for a recent increase in infections despite growing concerns that they are driving its spread after restrictions and lockdowns were eased around the world.

“I really hope we don’t get into finger wagging: it’s all because of the youth,” said Ryan. “The last thing a young person needs is an old person pontificating and wagging the finger.”

Rather, indoor gatherings of people of all ages were driving the epidemic, he said.

The WHO is continuing talks with China about its possible involvement in the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccines, a week after the deadline for committing passed.

“We’re in discussions with China about the role they may play as we go forward,” said Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser and head of the ACT-Accelerator program to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against COVID-19.

He confirmed that Taiwan has signed up to the scheme, even though it is not a WHO member, bringing the total to 159 participants. Some 34 are still deciding.

Talks with China also include discussion of the world’s second-largest economy potentially supplying vaccines to the scheme, he said.

The U.N. agency published on Friday draft criteria for the assessment of emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines to help guide drugmakers as vaccine trials reach advanced stages, said WHO assistant director-general, Mariangela Simao.

The document will be available for public comment until Oct. 8, she said.

Earlier on Friday, a Chinese health official said the WHO had given its support for the country to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people even while clinical trials were still underway. (Reuters)

The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday.

The summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future, the government said in a statement.

“The G20 has contributed over $21 billion to support the production, distribution, and access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines,” the statement said.

It has also injected $11 trillion to safeguard the global economy and launched a debt suspension initiative for least developed countries allowing them to defer $14 billion in debt payments due this year. (Reuters)

The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday.

The summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future, the government said in a statement.

“The G20 has contributed over $21 billion to support the production, distribution and access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines,” the statement said.

It has also injected $11 trillion to safeguard the global economy and launched a debt suspension initiative for least developed countries allowing them to defer $14 billion in debt payments due this year.

A total of 60 illegal Indonesian Migrant Workers from Damascus, Syria, were flown to the country via Beirut International Airport, Lebanon, on Sunday.

The repatriation of the 60 Indonesian citizens was a collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus and the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut.

"With an intensive collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus and the Lebanese General Security for the completeness of documents, and permits for the Indonesian citizens, it can be ensured that it will run smoothly and orderly," the Indonesian Ambassador in Beirut Hajriyanto Y. Thohari said in a written statement, Monday.

According to him, strict preparations were made for the long-distance journey, starting from completing documents while transiting in Lebanon as well as intensive coordination with Lebanese immigration security and Rafik Hariri Airport.

Hajriyanto emphasized that the repatriation process for the 60 migrants also applied a strict health protocol.

"Repatriation during the Covid-19 pandemic feels different, the Lebanese airport has implemented a strict health protocol policy. The Indonesian Embassy is also trying its best," he added.

Meanwhile, in the records of the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus and the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, the 60 undocumented migrant workers were also victims of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons. (RRI)

A total of 60 illegal Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) from Damascus, Syria, were flown to the country via Beirut International Airport, Lebanon, Sunday (27/9/2020). The repatriation of the 60 Indonesian citizens was a collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Damascus and the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut. "With an intensive collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus and the Lebanese General Security for the completeness of documents, and permits for the Indonesian citizens, it can be ensured that it will run smoothly and orderly," said the Indonesian Ambassador in Beirut Hajriyanto Y. Thohari in a written statement, Monday