(photo: Covid-19 vaccine illustration, credit: novamedconciergecom)

The world has not yet transitioned into endemic status, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official, Dr. Michael Ryan, explained regarding global Covid-19 pandemic status, as published by Al Jazeera (14/04/2022). Ryan also said that endemic status does not mean Covid-19 be over, that it becomes mild, or not be a problem. Tuberculosis and malaria, for instance, has long been categorised as endemic, yet has still been killing millions of people per year. 

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Covid-19 Technical Lead, confirmed Ryan’s statement, saying that the 20,000 reported global Covid19-related deaths during the first week of April, having been the lowest since Covid-19 was first declared pandemic, was not something to be satisfied about. Also, endemic diseases, Van Kerkhove said, can become childhood diseases, meaning that newborn children are equally susceptible, and that epidemics can easily break out anytime if vaccination levels drop. 

The Republic of Indonesia’s current President Jokowi’s administration is working hard towards nationally transitioning into endemic status. Indonesia’s national Covid19-related policies have been adapted towards a more-relaxed approach; masks to be worn only by the elderly, people with comorbidities, the general public in indoor places and crowded outdoor settings, and by people with coughs and flu-like symptoms. The government also erases PCR test requirements for fully-vaccinated people coming from overseas and people travelling inside Indonesia with complete vaccination status. 

National Vaccination Status

Such policy-relaxations, according to Indonesian National Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito, are taken alongside the government’s campaigns for healthy lifestyle and vaccination efforts. Antaranews (22/04/2022) reports that two doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to 166,837,615 recipients, while 199,883,553 recipients have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin is reportedly optimistic with the current progress, having achieved a conclusion of 99.2% of people having Covid-19 antibodies through either contracting Covid-19 or vaccine, according to a national serology survey report. 

Jakarta and Batam

The regional government of Jakarta, a city with 10.6 million residents, is reported to have administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 12,526,283 recipients (124.2%), with 70.4% having Jakarta resident identification card (KTP) and the rest with ID cards for outside Jakarta. The second dose has been given to 10,695,488 recipients, 73.7% of which have a Jakarta ID card. 

This means around 8.8 millions (83%) of Jakarta’s 10.61 million residents have been vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 7.88 million (around 74%) have been vaccinated with the second dose. The third dose of Covid-19 vaccine is reported to have been administered to 3.8 millions of recipients by Jakarta regional administration, with no reported further details. 

Meanwhile, Batam Health Office reports 947,762 Covid-19 vaccine first dose recipients, 104.46% of 907,317 target recipients, and 837,500 second dose recipients (92% of target). Booster shots have been administered to 404,616 recipients, 51.25% of 789,451 targeted.