Jokowi Asks All Regional Police Chiefs to Be Informed of Omicron

jpnn.com, BALI - President Joko Widodo has instructed all regional police chiefs and commanders throughout Indonesia to be aware of the threat of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, which has spread to many countries.

The President asked national security forces to continue to intensify the vaccination program for the community.

“The threat is not over. We can be grateful, we can be proud, but we still have to be careful with the threat of the fourth wave of [Covid-19]," said Jokowi at the Candi Ballroom of the Apurva Kempinski Hotel, Badung regency, Bali, Friday (3/12).

Jokowi also emphasized that those serving in border areas should be more alert to the Omicron variant, especially because it spread faster than the Delta variant as current studies showed.

"Foreigners, as well as our own citizens, especially our workers who come back from foreign countries, can bring in the virus," he said.

Furthermore, Jokowi asked the police and the military to accelerate the Covid-19 vaccination program, especially in low-covered provinces.

"There are 15 provinces where vaccination rates are still below 60 percent. They are South Sumatra, West Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Maluku, Central Sulawesi, West Papua, Maluku, Southeast Sulawesi, Aceh, and Papua," said the President.

Jokowi also reported that 17 regencies or cities in eight provinces had experienced an upward trend of Covid-19 cases over the past two to three weeks.