TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the COVID-19 Delta variant sub-lineage known as AY.23 that dominated cases in Singapore originated from Indonesia. “Singapore’s AY.23 variant surely comes from Indonesia,” said Budi in a health webinar held by PKS on Saturday, November 13.

Budi explained the AY.23 variant is a mutation of the original Delta variant, namely B.1,617.2, which is commonly detected in Indonesia. “The original Delta variant B.1.617.2 entered Indonesia and then mutated to AY.23 and became the dominant subvariant in Indonesia and spread abroad, including to Singapore,” he said.

According to him, the government routinely conducts genome sequencing on the Delta variants. Besides, Indonesia is considered lucky since it has already surpassed the peak of the Delta variant cases which leads to the existence of people's immunity.

What the government is worried about at the moment, he went on, is the United Kingdom or UK’s AY.4.2 variant. However, referring to the virus mutations found in England or its genomics, the AY.4.2 variant had occurred in Indonesia’s AY.23 and AY.24 variants. “So inshallah (If God is willing), we should relatively be more resistant,” the Health Minister opined.

Learning from the first and second waves of COVID-19, Budi said that the government secured all the entrances for foreign arrivals, including in five airports, nine ports, and four arrivals on the land route.

Read: Covid-19 Delta Variant Not Found in Indonesia, Minister Says

FRISKI RIANA