Indonesia to Mull over Endemic Status If No COVID-19 Spike after Eid
Translator
Dewi Elvia Muthiariny
Editor
Laila Afifa
Jumat, 1 April 2022 14:13 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Task Force for COVID-19 Handling chair Lt. Gen. Suharyanto said discussions on the possibility to shift from pandemic to endemic will be carried out if there is no spike in positive cases after the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
Suharyanto emphasized that his side must be careful and thoughtful as there are many factors to be considered in making this decision albeit many people have talked about it. “Let's see the case development in the future,” he said on Thursday night, March 31.
He hoped that after the Eid holidays, the COVID-19 trend will not be the same as that after previous long holidays where cases significantly surged, followed by the emergence of new virus variants.
“If [cases] remain sloping and no significant surge in cases, we will perhaps think about shifting the pandemic status to endemic,” he remarked.
Suharyanto also confirmed that during the Eid homecoming or mudik period this year, there will not be roadblocks, but his side will undergo random COVID-19 tests and set up service posts to check the health or vaccination status of people through the PeduliLindungi app.
Read: Jakarta to Ease COVID-19 Restrictions, Ready to Enter Endemic
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