TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Health Ministry is waiting for President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's decision to revoke the COVID-19 emergency status in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday, May 5, that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency of international concern.

The ministry’s spokesperson Mohammad Syahril said the ministry would coordinate with other ministries to create recommendations to be later submitted to the President.

The COVID-19 emergency status in Indonesia is regulated by Presidential Decree (Kepres) Number 11 of 2020 concerning the determination of the health emergency status of the 2019 coronavirus disease and Presidential Decree Number 12 of 2020 on the determination of non-natural disasters of COVID-19 spread as a national disaster.

“So revoking it requires an official announcement from the President. Let’s patiently wait for the Health Ministry or the President to make an official announcement,” Syahril said in a press conference held virtually on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

The WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Thursday, May 4, discussed the pandemic and agreed to end the public health emergency of international concern which has been going on for more than three years since January 30, 2020. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday, May 5, stated that however, it does not mean COVID-19 has ended as a global health threat.

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA | FAJAR PEBRIANTO

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