TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - With 68 more patients recovering from coronavirus infections in Papua in a span of 24 hours ending Tuesday, the number of recoveries in the province climbed to 11,028, the provincial COVID-19 task force stated.

The additional recoveries were reported from Jayapura city (26) and the districts of Mimika (14), Boven Digul (13), Merauke (1), Jayawijaya (11), Biak Numfor (3), the task force's spokesperson, Silwanus Sumule, informed on Wednesday.

Although Papua's recovery rate is showing a positive trend, its death toll data remains a cause for concern. According to the task force, 218 COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the virus since the local authorities officially reported the first confirmed cases on March 21, 2020.

Silwanus said Papua's infection rate rose to 12,546 after 116 residents tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The newly-confirmed cases were reported from the districts of Jayawijaya, Jayapura, Nabire, Mimika, Biak Numfor, and Bovel Digul, he added.

Papua and many other provinces in Indonesia have been striving to contain coronavirus infections, which initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and then spread worldwide, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first COVID-19 infections in Indonesia were reported on March 2 this year.

The government has consistently expressed confidence the COVID-19 vaccine would help contain the pandemic which has posed a serious threat to public health and economy.

Over the past few months, it has endeavored to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for Indonesians through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Indonesia is cooperating with China and the United Kingdom for the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

The government is also supporting research efforts towards developing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), named after the colors of the national flag.

As recently disclosed by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government would likely commence the first phase of COVID-19 immunization in the third week of December this year.

The government is awaiting emergency-use authorization from Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to commence the first phase of the program.

ANTARA