Showing posts with label Jakara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jakara. Show all posts

Indonesia, Corona Virus, and Things We Need to Know


COVID - 19 in the World 

I have been wanting to write this for quite sometimes.

Now that we have some confirmed cases of COVID - 19 in Indonesia as announced in the beginning of March, the first thing we need to do is remain calm, take care of our health and protect others.

Easy to say, but not that easy to implement, I should say.

Many parts of the the world have witnessed the spread of Corona Virus, or officially named COVID - 19, at the alarming speed. Not only it is super contagious, but it is deadly to some people as well. If we remember SARS or MERS, we will think of it as a 'crazy' flu. But COVID - 19 is something else. Something more dangerous and unpredictable, as we don't know much about it.

After the breakout of Corona Virus started in Wuhan, China, in the beginning of the year, now more than 100 countries have experience its horrid impact. World Health Organization (WHO) has officially announced it as the world pandemic, as to date, more than 140 countries have been affected.



Some simple things we can do to avoid Corona Virus

In the case of Indonesia, President Joko Widodo, has announced the first two confirmed case of COVID - 19 in March 2nd, 2020, followed by increasing numbers of cases in days. As this post is written (March 16), there are 117  confirmed cases, including one of the ministers who has been busy during the first wave of Corona Virus outbreak, the Minister of Transportation. 


Seven provinces across Indonesia now have confirmed Covid-19 cases in their region, including in West Java province with total of 10 cases in Bekasi, Depok, Cirebon, and Bandung cities. Many positive cases in Jakarta are the development of tracing previous case, while others also included cases with the history of  people visiting Bali and Malaysia, the neighbouring country which faces the same pandemic. This is not something we can take for granted indeed.

Recently, President Jokowi announced and urged Indonesian to stay at home or at least reduce their activities in the public area to reduce the spread of COVID -19. Most students in Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, and East Java, five of the country's most populous provinces, as well as other provinces like Lampung, stopped going to school on Monday and taking online classes instead until the end of March, They will stay at home for about 2 weeks in attempts to cut down the transmission of COVID - 19. More warnings and strong advice are given to stop public crowd and mass gathering in any forms to reduce the risk of getting infected. Social distancing is in place!

Many public figures continuosly advising social distancing as one way to curb the spread of the virus. My office has also implemented work-from-home scenario using the rooster to have reduced staff only present at the office. As I am in the middle of diplomatic training, we are also practicing distance learning and independent study in the next 2 weeks. I sincerely hope may institutions will do the same so that massive social distancing policy will be effective. My Ministry also continues to take measures to ensure the protection of Indonesian citizens abroad.  As you can see from the infographic above, we have 22 confirmed cases of Indonesian living abroad, spreading in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Taiwan.
Many countries and cities around the globe are doing similar things, some even implement lock down policy, bringing the health of the people as the top priority. 

Meanwhile, I would also like to copy the message I received in my email (march 14) from the Governor of New York Estate. I know New York, including New York City, is fighting this virus and its horrific spread.

"Dear Indah,
I write to update you on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
During this pandemic, I cannot implore you enough to social distance — which means limiting all in-person social interactions as much as possible. Experts agree that staying apart is critical if we want to reduce the strain on our health care system and slow the spread of this virus to save lives.
To that end, I have taken a number of actions:
  • Schools in NYC, Westchester County and Long Island are closed. Remote learning will take place, and plans are being developed so that children still can get the meals they need and essential workers have access to child care. (Your local school district will have more details.)
  • We are aggressively urging private businesses to consider closing and having employees work from home
  • Non-essential state employees, as well as non-essential local government employees, have been directed to work from home.
  • Starting at 8pm tonight until further notice, restaurants and bars statewide will be delivery and takeout ONLY.
  • Starting at 8pm tonight until further notice, gyms, casinos and movie theaters will all be closed.
  • Pharmacies, grocery stores, medical facilities and gas stations will remain OPEN.
We do not take these decisions lightly — they are necessary because of the unprecedented public health crisis we find ourselves in.

How dangerous is this virus?
Eighty percent of people who contract COVID-19 self-resolve — and may not even have symptoms.
The virus presents a larger risk to the elderly, the immune-compromised and those with underlying health conditions. We are laser focused on protecting these at-risk populations.
Remember: Even if you have no symptoms, you can still spread Coronavirus. Be a good neighbor and take precautions even if you are young and healthy. Those around you may be at greater risk.
What should you do?
All New Yorkers can take simple steps to prevent the spread of this virus:
  • Wash your hands regularly — for at least 20 seconds
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve
  • Avoid handshaking
  • Don't touch your face with unwashed hands
New Yorkers should also follow our recommendations for social distancing:
  • Stay home, even if you feel well
  • Keep 6 feet of distance from others in public
  • Cancel unnecessary travel plans
New Yorkers can call the Department of Health's coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or visit this page for further information. 
I will be transparent with you. The number of confirmed cases in New York State will continue to go up, and the situation will get worse before it gets better.
But I know that New Yorkers are strong and we will get through this.

 That's the end of the message from Governor Cuomo. I believe the message is universal and it will definitely be beneficial for all of us. 

HOW TO PREVENT THE VIRUS TRANSMISSION

There are many ways we can do to protect each other. 
Some of them are very basic hygiene technics such as, among others:
  • washing our hands frequently
  • maintaining social distancing
  • avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, 
  • practicing respiratory hygiene
  • seeking medical care early when you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing. 
Source: www.who.int


Don’t forget to stay informed and follow advice given by healthcare provider.
I have this infographic in Bahasa Indonesia as well as in English, that I took from WHO's website.

We can do it! Source: Twitter Kemlu RI

Get more details at @who website and stay safe and healthy. 
The link for everything related to Corona Virus can be found here:  

the link with all the necessary information

Ada banyak panduan dan informasi yang sangat berguna untuk mengatasi outbreak ini, termasuk bagaimana mencuci tangan yang benar serta bagaimana mengatasi stress saat outbreak maupun membantu anak - anak mengatasi stress di saat yang sama. Juga ada
food safety and tips & tricks for shopping (especially in China and Southeast Asia) plus staying healthy while traveling. Selain itu, terdapat pula beberapa panduan teknis untuk negara dan beberapa langkah awal yang harus segera diambil untuk mengatasi outbreak ini. 



As of 17 March 2020

WHO juga menyediakan peta interaktif yang secara real - time memberikan indikasi berapa kasus yang terjadi di seluruh dunia serta penyebaran negara dan jumlahnya. Seram memang melihat perkembangannya yang begitu cepat!



Wash your hands frequently


Jadi, jangan lupa untuk melakukan berbagai hal penting di atas ya.
Semangaaat semuaa.. 
Mari bersama kita lawan COVID 19!
Kita pasti bisa!