PANGKALAN BUN – BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP. Governor of Central Kalimantan H. Sugianto Sabran attended the Coordination Meeting on Covid-19 Vaccination Readiness and Enforcement of Health Protocols in 2021 virtually via video conference at the Regent’s office of West Kotawaringin, Pangkalan Bun, on Tuesday (5/1/2021) morning.

This coordination meeting was chaired directly by the Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian together with the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin and the Head of National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) as the Chairperson of the Central Covid-19 Handling Task Force Doni Monardo. This coordination meeting was also attended virtually via video conference by Governors and Regents / Mayors throughout Indonesia.

At the coordination meeting, it was stated that the injection of COVID-19 vaccine will begin on January 13, 2021, which is scheduled to be first injected for the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo and the Cabinet Ministers of Indonesia Maju. Then, it is planned that on January 14 and 15, 2021, the vaccine will be given to Regional Heads who are under 60 years old along with all community leaders, including Members of Regional Leadership Coordination Forum. “This is as a symbol of providing a sense of security and convincing the public of the covid-19 vaccine,” explained Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian.

The Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian then asked all Regional Governments to intensify dissemination in order to provide understanding to the public regarding the Covid-19 vaccination program, such as safety factors and halal vaccines, Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) and others. The Minister of Home Affairs also reminded the Regional Governments to coordinate with the Indonesian Army and Indonesian Police in securing the implementation of the vaccination program.

Even though vaccination will be implemented in the near future, the Minister of Home Affairs emphasized that the health protocol should not be ignored. People’s discipline in running the health protocol remains a key factor in preventing the spread of Covid-19. “We shouldn’t relax the rules about 3M. It is not just wearing a mask, keeping our distance, and washing our hands often and properly, but we need to avoid the crowd because it can be a super spreader. It will be useless when we do tracing but we still gather in crowd,” he said.

The same thing was conveyed by the Chairperson of Covid-19 Handling Task Force Doni Monardo. “This news about vaccines should not make people think that after the vaccine is available, everything will be finished. No, vaccines will not immediately stop Covid, vaccines will not be able to make people who are not vaccinated also free from Covid,” he said.

Doni Monardo also asked all Provincial Governments and Regional Governments at Regency / City level supported by the Central Government to work hard to increase the capacity of isolation rooms at hospital. Local governments are also asked to establish posts, starting from the provincial level to the village level.

Also accompanying the Governor of Central Kalimantan in the coordination meeting were the Vice Regent of West Kotawaringin Ahmadi Riansyah, Head of the Health Office of Central Kalimantan Suyuti Syamsul, Chief Executive of Covid-19 Handling Task Force of Central Kalimantan Darliansjah, Head of Forestry Office of Central Kalimantan Sri Suwanto, and Head of Regional Revenue Office of Central Kalimantan Kaspinor (set/ist/translated by Feb).