Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) bore witness to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to journalists at the Senayan Basket Hall at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday.
The president and his entourage comprising Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate, and Chief of the Press Council Mohammad Nuh, reached the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Stadium at around 9:00 Western Indonesian Time (WIB).
The head of state later witnessed the initial screening of journalists before being injected the vaccine shots.
The president made it a point to converse with several vaccinators and journalists before observing the implementation of the second phase of the government's COVID-19 vaccination program.
During the peak commemoration of National Press Day at the State Palace in Jakarta on February 9, 2021, the president pledged to accord priority to the vaccination of journalists.
Jokowi highlighted the need for journalists to receive the COVID-19 vaccination on account of their regular interactions with people, especially informants, during the course of their duties.
"As I have pledged during the commemoration of National Press Day, we want to prioritize journalists to get vaccinated. Alhamdulillah (thank God), the vaccination of 5,500 journalists has begun and run smoothly. We hope (the vaccination) will protect journalists, who frequently interact with the public and informants (from being exposed to the coronavirus)," he stated.
The COVID-19 vaccination of journalists is the second phase of the government's vaccination program after it earlier offered free vaccination to all healthcare workers throughout the nation.
On Wednesday (Feb 24), President Jokowi was also present to witness up-close the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to teachers at the state senior high school building SMA Negeri 70 in South Jakarta.
In total, 650 public service officers, comprising teachers, lecturers, and other education workers from across Jakarta, received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the school building on Wednesday.
The teachers, lecturers, and education workers will receive their second shots of the COVID-19 vaccine in 14 days.
The government has targeted to inoculate 181,554,464 people, or 70 percent of Indonesia’s total population, in order to develop herd immunity against the coronavirus.
In keeping with the roadmap for COVID-19 vaccination, some 1.46 million healthcare workers on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 will be administered the vaccine shots until April 2021.
In the meantime, the number of senior citizens and public service officers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is estimated to reach 21.5 million and 16.9 million respectively.
A total of 1,363,138 Indonesians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Wednesday, with 825,650 people receiving their second vaccine dose, too, the Health Ministry stated.
The number of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine rose by 93,233 on Wednesday as compared to the day before. In the meantime, the number of people receiving their second dose increased by 35,684, according to the ministry’s data.
The 1,363,138 Indonesians chiefly constituted healthcare workers prioritized under the first phase of the vaccination program and public service officers being vaccinated under the second phase of the program.
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EDITED BY INE
