President Joko Widodo has pressed for speeding up the administration of COVID-19 vaccination for residents with high mobility that are susceptible to contracting emerging coronavirus variants.
“The government is keen that vaccination be expedited at some venues where people highly mobilize, for instance, at train stations, bus terminals, airports, and seaports,” President Widodo stated during his visit to a vaccination drive at Bogor Station here on Thursday that was aired on the Presidential Secretary’s YouTube channel.
At the vaccination venue, Jokowi was accompanied by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikit, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, West Java Deputy Regional Police Chief Brig. Gen. Pol. Eddy Sumitro, and Bogor City Mayor Bima Arya.
The head of state stressed that vaccination should be expedited at transportation facilities, including train stations, bus terminals, airports, and seaports.
“If vaccination is not expedited (at such venues), then transmission will potentially occur. By starting the vaccination at Bogor Station and its surrounding areas today, we expect that we all can be protected from COVID-19,” he emphasized.
The commuter line passengers (KRL) and workers at train stations tend to have high mobility and interaction, for which they have been prioritized to receive vaccination to protect them from COVID-19, according to Jokowi.
“Bogor is a buffer agglomeration area of Jakarta where both mobility and interaction of their residents are high,” he pointed out.
After Jokowi observed the vaccination drive at Bogor Station, Bogor City Mayor, Bima Arya, spoke of the president having directed the health minister to expedite vaccination.
“The president said that Jakarta and other surrounding buffer areas, including Bogor City, must expedite vaccination,” he stressed.
The COVID-19 vaccination at Bogor Station has targeted as many as 1,500 KRL, conducted in two schedules: 750 passengers being inoculated today, while the other half will receive the shots tomorrow (June 18) at 8 a.m. local time.
“The commuter line passengers were selected as recipients of the vaccine since they are categorized as people prone to being exposed of COVID-19,” he remarked.
The KRL are the residents of Bogor and the surrounding areas and work in Jakarta or vice versa. They have high mobility, thereby increasing their vulnerability to contracting COVID-19.
“In Jakarta and Bogor, the trend of COVID-19 transmission is currently increasing again, so precautionary measures are deemed necessary, such as to conduct vaccination,” he stated.
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