Covid-19 Omicron Variant has No Significant Impact, Ministry: Can be Managed

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of Fiscal Policy Agency Chief of the Ministry of Finance Febrio Kacaribu estimated that the impact of Covid-19 Omicron variant on the economy will not be significant due to its controllable nature.

"With our current data, we are optimistic that it could be feasible. Certainly, health facilities play a huge role, namely its telemedicine which has proven to be helpful," Febrio said during a conference in Jakarta on Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Febrio said that the impact of the transmission of the Covid-19 Omicron variant will be different from the Delta variant back in 2021, which had worse symptoms. "Considering how mild Omicron is to the Delta, countries have started to adjust their responses in facing the virus," Febrio said.

Currently, Indonesia has the PeduliLindungi app which is used to detect Covid-19 positive patients and they can immediately recover at home while receiving free medication.

"This will lessen the burdens of health facilities and reduce the expensive necessities to treat them [positive patients] at the hospital. If they can treat themselves, it will positively impact economic activities and budgets," Febrio said.

Nevertheless, the government continued to prepare additional health facilities in anticipation of an increasing number of patients. Additionally, the government had implemented automatic adjustments in managing the state's budget.

The adjustment is believed to increase the economic growth to exceed 5% in 2022 (year-on-year). "If in the future fund reallocations are required, we'll be prepared and it will be a permanent flexibility on the state's budget," Febrio added.

ANTARA