Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the professional development division of the Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) Masdalina Pane on Friday urged people to strengthen the implementation of the health protocols to prevent the transmission of the BN.1 Omicron sub-variant.
"The strengthening of health protocols must become a concern because currently, the BN.1 sub-variant has been detected in Indonesia," she said when contacted on Friday.
According to her, the spread of the BN.1 sub-variant must be anticipated, especially ahead of the year-end holidays.
"During year-end holidays, usually an increase in people's mobility occurs so that compliance with wearing a mask, washing hands, and avoiding crowds is needed," she said.
Compliance with the health protocols and taking the COVID-19 vaccinations, from the first to the booster doses, is key for curbing the transmission of COVID-19, including the BN.1 sub-variant, Pane highlighted.
In addition, the epidemiologist also reminded the community of the importance of COVID-19 testing, especially for those who are experiencing symptoms or those who are close contacts.
The Ministry of Health reported that the number of cases of the BN.1 sub-variant of Omicron has, so far, reached 20. The sub-variant was first detected in Riau Islands province on September 16, 2022.
Head of the ministry's communication and public service bureau, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, informed that the 20 cases of BN.1 comprised 9 cases in Jakarta; 5 cases in Central Java; 3 cases in Riau Islands; and 1 case each in North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
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According to Tarmizi, the BN.1 sub-variant is a sub-lineage of BA.2.75, which is a derivative of the Omicron variant. The sub-variant was first reported in India in late July 2022.
The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of December 9, the nation has recorded 6,695,010 COVID-19 cases, 6,491,519 recoveries, and 160,175 deaths.