427,689 people to be vaccinated in Banjarmasin

Head of Banjarmasin Health Office Machli Riyadi.(Antaranews Kalsel/Sukarli)

It has been calculated that the number of targets to be vaccinated in Banjarmasin is approximately 427,689 people, so (the vaccination) is carried out in stages,

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Head of the Banjarmasin Health Agency Machli Riyadi said that related to the central government's COVID-19 vaccination program the agency has prepared its implementation later in the city.

As many as 427,689 people, he said, have been recorded as targets for the COVID-19 vaccine in the city.

The large number of targets, which is hundreds of thousands, will make it not easy for the agency to carry out the program, whereas the amount of health workers is limited.

"It has been calculated that the number of targets to be vaccinated in Banjarmasin is approximately 427,689 people, so (the vaccination) is carried out in stages," he said.

Meanwhile, to prepare for the first phase of the COVID-19 immunization program, scheduled in the third week of December, 2020, President Joko Widodo earlier instructed ministries and agencies to conduct nationwide vaccine simulations.

Deputy chair of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN), Erick Thohir, speaking at the webinar themed "preparing infrastructure for COVID-19 vaccination data", said, in keeping with Presidential Regulation No.99/2020, the government has set a preliminary target of vaccinating those aged between 18 and 59 years.

Head of Health Agency Machli Riyadi said, his party began to conduct socialization to the public in order the vaccination could run smoothly. "We even involve religious leaders to support this activity plan," he said.

According to him, this is important to do, because there are many negative issues about vaccination, and the impact will detrimental the community. While vaccination is for health so as not to contract the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.

"The people of Banjarmasin are in principle ready to receive this vaccine," he said.

Data from South Kalimantan COVID-19 Task Force on November 25, 2020, showed Banjarmasin has 3,620 confirmed positive cases, 3,263 recoveries, 188 people are still being treated, and 169 people died.