TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said today, November 24, that the Indonesian government has administered 226 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of November 23, 2021.

“This vaccination is also vital. As of November 23, 2021, we have injected 226 million doses,” he said at the Bank Indonesia Annual Meeting (PTBI) which was broadcasted virtually Wednesday, November 24.

In detail, 65 percent of the figure has received the first dose and the remaining 43.3 percent has received the complete two doses.

The President said it is something to be grateful for. He also hoped that by the end of this year, the vaccination can reach 280 to 290 million doses.

Recent COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, he added, could be depressed. Back in mid-July, the daily cases hit 56,000, while it has now dropped to 394 cases.

“It (the situation in mid-July) was horrifying. When I monitored hospitals, particularly in Java and Bali, the bed occupancy rate reached above 90 percent,” the state head recalled.

For the past one and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia has been prioritizing health issues and accelerating vaccinations, but apparently, the pandemic has caused impacts on many sectors.

According to Jokowi, almost all countries saw a shortage of energy, rising inflation, and an increase in producer prices. Thus he also expressed gratitude to Bank Indonesia, the Finance Ministry, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) for their collaboration in solving those issues.

Read: Indonesia's Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage Surpasses WHO Target

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO