TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin predicted an increase in COVID-19 cases after two new subvariants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, were detected in Indonesia. He confirmed that there were eight new cases of the subvariants.

One of the eight infected people had moderate symptoms and has not yet received a vaccine booster, while the rest seven had a booster and were all asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

Budi also said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo encouraged all people to remain vigilant and careful in dealing with the Omicron subvariants.

“Bapak President instructs us to be alert and careful because our vigilance, our conservativeness, our caution have yielded results that pandemic condition in Indonesia is relatively good compared to other countries,” said Budi in a statement at the Presidential Office, Jakarta after a limited meeting with the President on Monday, June 13, 2022.

However, the minister appealed to the public not to worry too much about the new virus subvariants.

“The mortality rate [of the Omicron latest subvariants] is 1 in 10 of the deaths caused by the Delta and Omicron variants. So although the new subvariants generate a surge in cases in a number of countries, their peak of cases, hospitalization rate, and death rate are far lower than the earliest variant of Omicron,” Minister Budi concluded.

JULI HANTORO

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