Immanuel C S, Mecca Yumna, Semarang, Central Java – Head of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Daeng M. Faqih urged the Indonesian Government to boost security at the airport, as Indonesia's entry point from overseas, to prevent the risk of a third wave of COVID-19.
"The COVID-19 task force and the government must guard the entry points to Indonesia to avoid falling for (the third COVID-19 wave)," Faqih stated in Semarang on Saturday.
The association's head called to give special attention to this issue, especially after learning from the earlier example of COVID-19 Delta variant cases that came from overseas.
Epidemiologists have projected a third or fourth wave of COVID-19 that threatens Indonesia. Currently, some regions increased the level of community activities restrictions, he pointed out.
He also drew attention to cases of COVID-19 found at the Papua XX National Sports Week.
Faqih deemed the condition as alarming, and called on all to beware of it and stay vigilant.
He pushed for stricter implementation of health protocols on an ongoing basis in various public activities.
In addition, Faqih has encouraged to expedite vaccination to reach a rate of above 70 percent by the end of this year.
Currently, vaccines for health workers are almost completely administered, he elaborated.
He also deems it necessary to provide booster vaccines to the general public. "Currently, the general public is still focused on the first and second vaccines," he noted.
Once 50 to 70 percent of the population is vaccinated, then booster vaccines for the general public can be administered, he remarked.
Earlier, the government had targeted to inoculate 70 percent of the population by the end of the year. However, since late September, they have set a new target. They aim to vaccinate 80 percent of the total population in order to achieve herd immunity.