TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday called for members of the public to remain calm amidst news of the rising coronavirus cases in the past month. He also reminded people to take their share of booster vaccinations as social activities are expected to rise during the Eid al-Fitr celebration this year.

“The spread of Covid currently is slightly on the rise, but we do not need to overreact in responding to this,” said the President in an official press statement from the Bogor Presidential Palace on April 19.

Jokowi made sure that people still adhere to and follow the existing health protocols that have proven to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

“I ask for people who might feel ill to wear face masks, and also to those with comorbidities. Wearing a face mask should also be a must in meeting elderly people,” he added.

Daily Covid Cases Reach 1,000

According to the data sourced from the Covid-19 task force, the number of daily cases as of Tuesday, April 18, has exceeded 1,000 cases with nearly 10,000 current active cases.

The rise in cases coincides with the emergence of a new Covid-19 subvariant known as the Arcturus or XBB 1.16. As recently as Monday, the Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril announced 5 more cases of Covid-19 Arcturus, reaching a total of seven confirmed cases of the new variant.

“All of the patients have recovered, there are five cases in total with two from Surabaya and three from Jakarta. Thankfully, all are recovering with minor symptoms,” said Syahril.

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