VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Bio Farma President Director Honesti Basyir (seated left) signed a Preliminary Agreement of Purchase and Supply of Bulk Production of COVID-19 Vaccine with Sinovac General Manager Gao Xiang (seated right) as Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, who is also Chief of the Committee for the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (KPEN), and Foreign Minister Retno L. Marsudi looked on in Hainan, China, on August 20, 2020. ANTARA/HO-Kementerian BUMN.

Indonesian vaccine producer PT Bio Farma looks set to receive 50 million doses of ready-to-fill (RTF) concentrate from China's pharmaceutical firm, Sinovac Biotech Ltd., during November 2020-March 2021 period for bulk production of COVID-19 vaccine.

To this end, both sides inked a preliminary agreement on the purchase and supply of the bulk production of COVID-19 vaccine in Hainan, China, on Thursday (August 20).

Under the agreement, Bio Farma will not only process and distribute COVID-19 vaccine but will also receive a technology transfer in the production of the vaccine from Sinovac, Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, concurrently chief of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (KPEN), stated.

"During this visit, we would like to ensure the transformation of our health industry. The cooperation between Bio Farma and Sinovac is a win-win cooperation. We highlighted the need to agree on a transfer of knowledge and transfer of technology from Sinovac," he remarked in a press statement released on Friday.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno L. Marsudi affirmed that both nations had inked two agreements on August 20, 2020. Under the first agreement, Indonesia will receive an additional supply of bulk COVID-19 vaccine until March 2021. The additional supply will last until the end of 2021.

The agreement is aimed at concurring on the commitment to the bulk supply of up to 50 million doses of vaccine between November 2020 and March 2021, she revealed.

The second agreement is related to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Sinovac and Bio Farma on bulk vaccine capacity commitment in 2021 under which Sinovac will give priority to Bio Farma in the bulk supply of the vaccine until the end of 2021.

"This is quite a long-term cooperation between Bio Farma and Sinovac," she stated.

President Director of Bio Farma Honesti Basyir revealed that his company awaits the first shipment of 10 million bulk doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in November 2020 and another 10 million bulk doses in December 2020.

Another 10 million bulk doses of vaccine will be shipped in each of the first three months of 2021. In total, Bio Farma will receive 50 million bulk doses of COVID-19 vaccine until March 2021, he stated.

"Let us accomplish our big tasks to produce and distribute the vaccine among the Indonesian people immediately," she stated.

Basyir expounded that Bio Farma will not immediately produce the bulk supply of RTF concentrate, received in November 2020, into vaccine, but it will conduct a series of tests on it at the Bio Farma laboratory and register it with the Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM).

Bio Farma will later conduct filling and packaging processes to turn it into the end product that will also carry the components of local content and technology transfer in the field of fill/finish bulk.  (ANTARA)

Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto presented an award to the family of a medical worker who died while performing duties to fight against COVID-19.

Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has bestowed awards to honor medical workers who died while performing their duties to treat COVID-19 patients and handed out cash compensation to their families.

"Let me offer our deep sorrow and high honor to all medical workers who had worked hard and highly devoted themselves to fight against the COVID-19," he said in a press statement of the Health Ministry on Friday.

The awards and cash compensation were handed over to the families of late dr Adi Mirsaputra, Sp. THT working for Restu Kasih Rumah Keluarga Hospital and late dr Mikhael Robert Marampe working for Permata Bunda Hospital in Bekasi, West Java.

The minister said he represented President Joko Widodo to hand over the cash compensation and bestow the awards to honor the medical workers who died while fulfilling their duties to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state will not forget the services of medical workers who have died of the COVID and are still fighting against the spread of the virus, he said.

"Let us pray that this non-natural disaster will pass soon," he added.

The minister also symbolically handed over incentives to an anesthesiologist of Fatmawati Hospital in Jakarta for the medical workers of the hospital.

Head of the Human Resource Development and Empowerment of the Health Ministry Prof dr Kadir said the ministry also made payments for claims from hospital treating COVID-19 patients. at the hospital

"The awards, compensations and incentives are form of the government's appreciation to those who risk their lives in fulfilling their duties to handle the COVID-19," Kadir said.

Earlier, the government also bestowed the "Bintang Jasa" (Stars of Service) awards to honor doctors and nurses, who died while fulfilling their duties to handle the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"These awards mark our deep sorrow (for the fallen health workers) and highest respect for all medical personnel, who are at the forefront in the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia," presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman stated in Jakarta recently.

President Joko Widodo presented the 22 Stars to the families of the 13 doctors and nine nurses, who died in the line of duty.

Of the 22 medical personnel, nine were honored with the Pratama (Primary) Star awards, while 13 were presented the Nararya (Glorified) Stars.

Indonesia reported 2,317 additional recoveries from the COVID-19 on Friday (August 21), taking the total tally to 102,991, according to the Task Force for the Handling of COVID-19.


The number of new cases touched 2,197, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 case count to 149,408, Meanwhile, with 82 more people succumbing to the virus, the death toll reached 6,500. (ANTARA)

A white sandy beach on Ranoh Isle in Batam Municipality, Riau Islands Province. (Naim)

The Batam City Tourism Office has outlined a target to draw foreign tourists especially from Europe.

"We are optimistic of being able to penetrate the European market," Ardiwinata, head of the Batam City Tourism Office, stated in Batam, Riau Islands, on Friday.

During an online discussion with the Visit Indonesia Tourism Office (VITO), or Indonesian tourism officers overseas, in the Netherlands and France, it was highlighted that European tourists were known to love traveling to tropical islands, being drawn to nature tourism and local culture.

Batam has over 300 islands, with white sandy beaches and natural mangrove forests. The Batam Sea also has a profuse underwater ecosystem, replete with vibrant corals and a plethora of fish species.

Batam has a distinctive advantage as it is relatively easy to access owing to its proximity to Singapore that has flight routes to various countries in Europe.

It only takes a few hours by sea from Singapore to reach the exotic islands in Batam, thereby making it easier for travelers, according to Ardiwinata.

"Batam has everything that European tourists are looking for. Our opportunities are clearly huge," Ardiwinata stated.

However, Ardiwinata did acknowledge existing challenges in drawing European tourists, as they have tastes and preferences that differ from Asian tourists. Most of Batam’s tour agents are accustomed to catering to Asian tourists, he added.

European tourists prefer long vacations, while Asian travelers prefer short visits, he pointed out.

Moreover, European tourists generally plan their holidays well in advance, even as far as two years beforehand, while Asian tourists are more spontaneous, according to Ardiwinata. (ANTARA)

Recovered COVID-19 patients at the Raja Ahmad Thabib General Hospital in Riau Islands Province. (Ogen)

Indonesia reported 2,317 additional recoveries from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Friday, taking the total tally to 102,991, according to the Task Force for the Handling of COVID-19.

The number of new cases touched 2,197, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 case count to 149,408, Meanwhile, with 82 more people succumbing to the virus, the death toll reached 6,500.

In terms of the distribution of cases, Jakarta recorded the highest number of new infections at 657. Meanwhile, 433 patients recovered from COVID-19 and 15 others succumbed to the disease in the province.

East Java was next with 458 new cases, 414 recoveries, and 30 deaths, followed by East Kalimantan, which recorded 195 new cases, 53 recoveries, and 5 deaths.

South Sulawesi reported 98 new confirmed cases, 90 recoveries, and no deaths; Central Java 96 new cases, 100 recoveries, and 5 deaths; West Java 93 new cases, 122 recoveries, and 8 deaths; and, Bali 76 new cases, 63 recoveries, and no deaths.

Meanwhile, eight provinces reported less than 10 new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours. Three provinces recorded zero cases of COVID-19 on Friday — North Maluku, Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara.

The task force also reported a total of 78,877 suspected cases of COVID-19. It said 485 districts/cities in 34 provinces have been exposed to the disease.

On Friday, 19,929 samples were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction and molecular rapid tests, taking the total number of samples tested to 1,989,870. (ANTARA)