Bersama Fahri

Kami berbagi cerita. Ia dari Jogja dan saya pernah delapan tahun tinggal di sana. Kami bertemu di sebuah klub bola voli di Sentul, Jawa Barat, pekan kedua September.

Bersama timnas voli, ia sedang bersiap untuk Asian Games di Hangzhou China pertengahan bulan ini. Ia menjadi satu-satunya atlet Indonesia yang akan bertanding di Eropa dalam waktu dekat.

Meski menjadi atlet voli yang paling digilai para perempuan, ia tetap rendah hati dan, menurut coachnya, ia pekerja keras dan pantang menyerah.

Selebihnya adalah harapan kita semua orang Indonesia agar ia dan timnas memboyong medali terbaik di kompetisi nanti. Ia adalah, Fahri Septian Putratama.

Feature: Solidarity for marginalized -- Indonesian youths "sell" free goods to people in need

 JAKARTA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Groups of young Indonesians set up stalls at free markets in several areas in the country as part of a campaign they call "solidarity for the marginalized".

People who come to these markets could take home second-hand clothes, books, shoes, and also vegetables, dried fish, ready-to-eat foods and cat foods, or have their hair cut for free.

Fahri Syah, aged 20 years old, a member of the Bogor Free Market located about 50 km south of capital Jakarta, said this action is based on the concept of mutual aid, giving their goods or skills to others voluntarily.

"These transactions involve no money at all," Syah told Xinhua on Monday.

The mutual aid turns out to be valuable, especially amidst the pandemic, as many people have been laid off and have had difficulty making a living, Syah added.

Held since June last year, a few months after the country was hit by the coronavirus, the Bogor Free Market opened their stalls in different places for vulnerable groups including the homeless, informal workers, street children selling tissue papers around traffic lights, and buskers.

Sometimes they build their stalls on the side of main roads or under bridges.

The Bogor Free Market opens stalls two to three times a month, depending on their readiness and the availability of the goods they are going to "sell".

The donations they receive are only in the form of goods or services, not money, for maintaining transparency and the spirit of humanity.

Donors who share goods or services are group members, friends, neighbors, relatives, people who contact them through social media, or anyone who wants to lend a helping hand.

Although the offerings are free, people are encouraged to take only what they need, Syah added.

There were participants who contributed their skills of cutting hair, and there were also medical students who brought sphygmomanometers to check blood pressures of their visitors.

A similar collaboration was held by 12 young people in the Samarinda Free Market, which is located on Indonesia's second-largest island of Kalimantan.

Together with the Happy Kitchen group, they provide dozens of ready-to-eat meals which are distributed free of charge.

"We share it with passion and love for humanity," said 30-year-old Seny Sebastian, a member of the Samarinda Free Market.

Today, these special free markets have spread across urban areas in Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Samarinda. Enditem

*http://www.news.cn/english/2021-11/24/c_1310329940.htm

Seblak

Pandemi COVID-19 memacu orang-orang di seluruh dunia lebih akrab dengan gadget dan aktivitas online. Keriuhan di sekolah atau kantor beralih ke jagat maya untuk membendung penyebaran virus. Model belanja yang touchless melalui e-commerce atau website semakin digandrungi, memperpanjang nyawa orang-orang di tengah hadangan penyakit mematikan.

Segala bidang bisnis merosot di musim penyebaran coronavirus, kecuali mereka yang mampu beradaptasi dengan teknologi, kata para pengamat yang bicara hingga berbusa di televisi. Begitulah bisnis yang melayani kemalasan orang kemudian berjaya. Sementara mereka yang keukeuh pada model tradisional dengan toko fisik sepi pembeli karena orang enggan beranjak dari rumah, enggan beranjak dari tempat nyaman. 

Hanya melalui satu sentuhan di gawai, semua barang yang diinginkan segera tiba di depan pintu rumah. Di hari yang sama, atau bahkan dalam waktu beberapa menit saja, lebih cepat ketimbang duduk di closet sambil melamun, membaca novel, atau mendengarkan musik. 

Meski pandemi COVID-19 kemudian mereda, orang-orang sudah kadung menjadi pemalas dan termanjakan oleh yang online-online.

Kami termasuk para pemalas itu, yang lebih suka dilayani teknologi dan mager kemana-mana. Kami, para penghuni kompleks perumahan baru di tenggara Jakarta. Yang saban hari menikmati seblak berkat layanan pesan antar.

Kau tahu seblak, bukan? Makanan pedas gurih campuran kerupuk basah, sayur dan protein, berkuah bumbu cikur khas Sunda. Konon makanan ini sesungguhnya telah ada jauh sebelum Soekarno mendeklarasikan kemerdekaan Indonesia, namun baru populer beberapa waktu belakangan.

Lokasi penjual seblak itu sebetulnya hanya sekitar 200 meter dari gerbang kompleks, tapi karena kami terlanjur termanjakan dengan layanan online, jadilah kami lebih suka membelinya melalui teknologi. 

Salah satu dari kami—yang sedang berkumpul di bawah pohon kersen atau di salah satu rumah—akan membuka aplikasi perpesanan, menyapa si teteh penjual dan mencantumkan jenis seblak yang kami inginkan. Berikut tingkat kepedasan sesuai lidah. Seblak bakso, seblak sosis, seblak kwetiaw, seblak tulang, seblak lengkap. Pedas sedang, pedas maksimal, ga pake cabe sama sekali. 

“Oke,” si teteh akan membalas pesan itu dalam tempo kurang dari tiga detik, jika stok tersedia. Dia akan ‘is typing’ beberapa jeda jika toping yang kami pesan tinggal sedikit atau telah habis.

Jika sudah deal, suara motor kurir—suami si teteh—akan tiba dalam belasan hingga 20 menit kemudian, meski di tengah hujan badai, menenteng berkantung-kantung seblak yang masih berasap.

Tentu kami akan langsung melahapnya, sambil bercerita tentang apa saja. Tentang kelucuan anak-anak mereka—tentu mereka, karena aku tak punya anak, kecuali si kucing Che yang kini telah pergi. Kadang kami berghibah tentang tetangga yang memiliki keunikan maksimal. Atau tentang developer yang tak kunjung membangun fasilitas umum yang mereka janjikan.

Begitulah, jagat perseblakan kami terjadi. 

 

Che dan Cakaran di Punggungku

Masih penasaran soal punggungku dicakar si kucing Che?

Begini ceritanya…

Che dalam kondisi kotor dan bau ketika aku pulang. Tempat grooming terdekat tutup karena habis lebaran. Besok paginya Che kumandiin sendiri.

Semua kamar mandi di rumah mami pintunya tak bisa menutup sempurna. Maklum udah lebih dari dua dekade. Jadi aku duduk mandiin Che sambil jagain pintu. Biar dia ga kabur.

Awalnya proses mandi berjalan lancar dan Che tertib. Pas air hangat di bak habis, aku berdiri ambil air dari kolam. Che langsung ambil kesempatan, nyoba buka pintu. Aku buru-buru balik ke posisi duduk dekat pintu.

Merasa jalan kaburnya terhalang, Che nyakar pinggang kiriku. Aku langsung mengaduh dan mengerutkan punggung kesakitan.

Che terus cari jalan keluar. Dia cakar punggungku. Berkali-kali. Berkali-kali. Aku jadi membayangkan bagaimana si penjaga satwa di kebun binatang di Purbalingga yang dicakar harimau beberapa waktu lalu (lebai sih tapi kejadiannya sama-sama dicakar).

Terpikir untuk pukul Che, atau jedotin dia ke tembok. Tapi aku terlalu sayang dia. Begitulah bagaimana cinta membutakan mata (Lol).

Aku selimuti Che dengan handuk. Dia langsung tenang dan terkendali. 

Besoknya aku demam ringan. Begitu dicek, bekas cakarannya memang banyak dan dalam. Mami ngomel-ngomel karena aku ga langsung ngiyain pas kemarin doi nawarin betadin. Waktu itu aku belum mandi dan kukira efeknya ga akan parah.

Selama tiga hari aku minum vitamin dan antibiotik. Sekarang sih udah pulih.

Mungkin pesan moralnya begini: kalau mau mandiin kucing, pastikan pintunya tertutup sempurna. Mendingan numpang di kamar mandi sodara atau tetangga, daripada jadi korban cakaran dan sakit berhari-hari.

Destaque: Hospitais estão sobrecarregados na Indonésia devido aumento nos casos de COVID-19

Jacarta, 11 jul (Xinhua) - Rochimawati, jornalista em Jacarta, entrou em contato com 15 hospitais na capital indonésia e na província de Java Ocidental para tratar seu irmão de 70 anos que está infectado com COVID-19, mas ainda não obteve resultados. 

Todos os leitos dos hospitais estavam totalmente ocupados, visto que o número de casos de COVID-19 na Indonésia aumentou nas últimas semanas. Vários hospitais que ela visitou diretamente também recusaram seu irmão e pediram que ela esperasse em longas filas. "

Meu irmão está com problemas para respirar", disse Rochimawati à Xinhua no sábado. Seu outro irmão, junto com sua esposa e filhos, tiveram que se isolar em sua casa em Jacarta. 

Uma rejeição semelhante foi vivenciada por Evi Mariani, também jornalista, quando seu pai de 79 anos, com doença cardíaca e diabetes como comorbidade, teve febre alta e tosse ao contrair COVID-19 no final de junho. 

Em sua casa na capital de Java Ocidental, Bandung, seu irmão mais novo e sua mãe estão se isolando porque testaram positivo para COVID-19, enquanto Mariani mora na área de Serpong, província de Banten. 

Mariani e sua família consultaram muitos hospitais em Bandung e Jacarta, mas não há um único leito para seu pai. 

Um pouco de esperança surgiu quando um leito estava disponível em um hospital privado de alto custo na área de Cibubur, leste de Jacarta, a cerca de 150 km de sua casa, após dias de procura, enquanto a condição de seu pai piorava. 

"Quando ele chegou ao pronto-socorro do hospital, papai já estava sem consciência. Sua saturação de oxigênio estava em 50", disse Mariani. 

Em menos de 24 horas após ser tratado por uma equipe médica, seu pai faleceu. 

Nas redes sociais como o Twitter e o aplicativo de mensagens Whatsapp, informações sobre pessoas que procuram hospitais para seus familiares que contratam o COVID-19 estão circulando todos os dias, já que o número de casos tem aumentado nas últimas semanas. 

Vários hospitais fecharam temporariamente os serviços de emergência para pacientes com COVID-19. 

Alguns hospitais estão tratando seus pacientes em estacionamentos ou corredores, pois os quartos internos estão lotados. 

O ministro da Saúde, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, admitiu em uma entrevista coletiva virtual na noite de sexta-feira que as taxas de ocupação de leitos (BORs) nas ilhas de Java e Bali excederam o padrão de segurança de 60 por cento da Organização Mundial da Saúde. 

O BOR na província de Banten foi registrado em 92 por cento, seguido por Yogyakarta (91 por cento), Java Ocidental (87 por cento) e Jacarta (85 por cento). 

Portanto, o governo indonésio converteu 40 por cento do total de 406.253 leitos em hospitais em todo o país para pacientes com COVID-19, dos 30 por cento iniciais. 

"Em Jacarta, convertemos os hospitais Fatmawati, Persahabatan e Sulianti Saroso totalmente para pacientes com COVID-19", acrescentou o Ministro Sadikin. 

Como o número de casos está aumentando, os leitos são apenas para pacientes com COVID-19 com sintomas moderados e graves, enquanto aqueles com sintomas leves foram solicitados a ficarem isolados em suas casas. 

São 11 serviços de telemedicina disponíveis para quem se isola para consultar médicos e obter medicamentos gratuitos. 

O teste do serviço de telemedicina foi lançado em Jacarta no dia 6 de julho. O governo também acrescentou milhares de leitos aos apartamentos e ao Wisma Haji Pondok Gede (um dormitório hajj no leste de Jacarta), além de mobilizar médicos e residentes internos para ajudar os médicos que estão sobrecarregados com o aumento de casos de COVID-19. 

Com base em todo o teste de sequenciamento do genoma, explicou Sadikin, foi rastreado que a variante Delta, que causou o aumento de casos de COVID-19 na Indonésia, apareceu pela primeira vez no dia 7 de janeiro de 2021, em um hotel no Aeroporto Soekarno Hatta na província de Banten, e no dia 8 de janeiro de 2021, na capital da província de Sumatra do Sul, Palembang. 

O vírus mutante altamente infeccioso se espalhou rapidamente para outras áreas da Indonésia de abril a junho, em meio à euforia das pessoas com a vacinação e o longo feriado de Eid al-Fitr. 

Irma Hidayati, uma fundadora do LaporCovid19, plataforma de relatórios da comunidade para compartilhar informações sobre COVID-19, disse que o número do BOR deve ser verificado novamente devido ao fato que as pessoas ainda têm dificuldade em conseguir leitos hospitalares para pacientes com COVID-19. 

"Nosso hospital não está apenas sobrecarregado, mas colapsou", disse ela. 

A capacidade adicional de leitos não é suficiente, pois o número de novos casos detectados está aumentando em cerca de 38.000 diariamente. 

Com base em pesquisas do LaporCovid19 no Twitter, em portais de notícias on-line e relatos diretos de pessoas, desde o aumento de casos de junho a 2 de julho, pelo menos 265 pessoas em 10 províncias morreram quando se isolaram em casa, procuraram instalações médicas ou na fila de leitos hospitalares. 

"Estamos preocupados que o número real seja maior porque nem todos relatam isso ao LaporCovid-19, às redes sociais ou aos meios de comunicação em massa", acrescentou Hidayati. 

* http://portuguese.xinhuanet.com/2021-07/13/c_1310058389.htm

Feature: Hospitals overwhelmed in Indonesia as COVID-19 cases surge

by Hayati Nupus JAKARTA, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Rochimawati, a journalist in Jakarta, has contacted 15 hospitals in the Indonesian capital and West Java province to treat her 70-year-old brother who is infected with COVID-19, but has yet to get results. All beds in the hospitals have been fully occupied as the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has been soaring in recent weeks. Several hospitals she directly visited also refused her brother and asked her to wait in long queues. "My brother is having trouble with breathing," Rochimawati told Xinhua on Saturday. Her another brother, along with his wife and children, has to conduct self-isolation at their home in Jakarta. A similar rejection was experienced by Evi Mariani, also a journalist, when her 79-year-old father with heart disease and diabetes as comorbidity had a high fever and coughing as he caught COVID-19 at the end of June. At their home in West Java's capital of Bandung, her younger brother and mother are self-isolating as they tested positive for COVID-19, while Mariani lives in Serpong area, Banten province. Mariani and her family have inquired many hospitals in Bandung and Jakarta, but not a single bed is available for her father. A little hope came when a bed was available at a high-priced private hospital in Cibubur area, East Jakarta, about 150 km from their home, after days of searching, while her father's condition was deteriorating. "When he arrived at an emergency room at the hospital, Papa had lost consciousness. His oxygen saturation was at 50," said Mariani. Within less than 24 hours after being treated by a medical team, her father passed away. On social media such as Twitter and the messaging application Whatsapp, information on people seeking hospitals for their family members contracting COVID-19 is milling about every day, as the number of cases has been surging in recent weeks. A number of hospitals have temporarily closed emergency room services for COVID-19 patients. Some hospitals are treating their patients in parking lots or halls as the rooms inside are full. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin admitted a virtual press conference on Friday evening that the bed occupancy rates (BORs) in the islands of Java and Bali have exceeded the World Health Organization's safe standard of 60 percent. The BOR in Banten province was recorded at 92 percent, followed by Yogyakarta (91 percent), West Java (87 percent), and Jakarta (85 percent). Therefore, the Indonesian government has converted 40 percent of the total 406,253 beds in hospitals nationwide for COVID-19 patients, from the initial 30 percent. "In Jakarta, we converted Fatmawati, Persahabatan, and Sulianti Saroso hospitals fully for COVID-19 (patients)," added Minister Sadikin. As the number of cases is surging, the beds are only for COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe symptoms, while those with mild symptoms were asked to self-isolate at their homes. There are 11 telemedicine services available for those who are in self-isolation to consult doctors and get free medicines. The telemedicine service trial was launched in Jakarta on July 6. The government has also added thousands of beds to flats and Wisma Haji Pondok Gede (a hajj dormitory in East Jakarta), besides deploying internship doctors and residents to help medical workers who are overwhelmed by the surge in the COVID-19 cases. Based on the whole genome sequencing test, Sadikin explained, it was traced that the Delta variant, which has caused the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, first appeared on Jan. 7, 2021, in a hotel at Soekarno Hatta Airport in Banten province, and on Jan. 8, 2021, in South Sumatra province's capital of Palembang. The highly-infectious mutant virus has spread quickly to other areas in Indonesia from April to June, amid people's euphoria over vaccination and the long holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Irma Hidayati, an initiator of LaporCovid19, a community reporting platform to share information about COVID-19, said the BOR figure should be re-checked due to the fact that people still have difficulty in getting hospital beds for COVID-19 patients. "Our hospital is not only overwhelmed but has collapsed," she said. The additional bed capacity is not enough as the number of new cases detected is increasing with around 38,000 every day. Based on LaporCovid19 searches on Twitter, online news portals, and direct reports from people, since the spike in cases from June to July 2, at least 265 people in 10 provinces died when undergoing self-isolation at homes, seeking medical facilities, or queuing for hospital beds. "We are worried that the actual number is higher because not everyone reports it to LaporCovid-19, social media, or mass media," Hidayati added. Enditem *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-07/11/c_1310055181.htm

Roundup: Indonesia bans Eid-homecoming travel to curb COVID-19

JAKARTA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Merak port which separates the two major islands of Java and Sumatra will only open two of its eight docks on May 6-17 in observing a travel ban on the annual exodus, locally known as "mudik", ahead of the Islamic holy festival Eid al-Fitr to curb the spread of COVID-19. "The two docks are only for vehicles carrying logistics and staples," Ira Puspadewi, managing director of the state-owned passenger ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry, said. In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, this big port was usually crowded with hundreds of thousands of people on their way back home to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival with their families. This year, vehicles carrying passengers were prohibited from crossing to Sumatra Island and they were asked to turn around. The travel ban imposed by the government also applies to travel by air or land, with road blocks erected on toll roads and regional borders. "This policy applies to all passenger cars, buses, ships and aircraft, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19," said Adita Irawati, an official at the Transportation Ministry. Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country with a tradition of urban migrants returning to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with their families after the fasting month Ramadan. This year, Eid al-Fitr falls on May 14 in the Southeast Asian country. According to a survey by the transportation ministry, 7 percent of the surveyed people have said they would continue their homecoming journey despite a travel ban. President Joko Widodo admitted he was worried that many people would be reckless to "mudik" this year. Moreover, Indonesia has a history of long holidays followed by increased mobility, and consequently a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Such situation in the past had caused a strain on the medical system, with hospitals filled with new patients and bed occupancy rate exceeding the normal limit. The death toll from COVID-19 had jumped to 2,000 per month following long holidays, compared to up to 900 in other months. "I understand, we all definitely miss our relatives, especially for Eid. But let's prioritize safety together by not going back to our hometowns," said Widodo. The president has urged governors, regents and mayors throughout Indonesia to continue to convey the ban on "mudik" to the public and order health protocol discipline. At the same time, the Indonesian government is anticipating a spike in COVID-19 cases. Moreover, three new variants of the coronavirus, which are more contagious, have entered Indonesia. The Indonesian police have deployed a total of 155,000 personnel in 381 checkpoints from South Sumatra in the west, the most populous Java Island, to Bali in the eastern part of the archipelagic country. "On the first day of the ban, we intercepted 23,573 vehicles that were suspected of going on a homecoming trip," said Indonesian National Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono. Some people had flocked back to their hometowns before the travel ban took effect on Thursday. In Central Java, one of the 34 provinces in Indonesia, for example, official data showed around 2,000 urban migrants returned home per day before May 6. "This shows that we really have to be prepared," said Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia increased 6,327 in the past 24 hours to 1,703,632, with the death toll adding by 167 to 46,663, the Health Ministry said on Friday. *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-05/07/c_139931207.htm

Feature: Vaccination continues for Muslims in Indonesia in holy month of Ramadan

JAKARTA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Fetry Asti, 30, did not hesitate to get a second jab of the COVID-19 vaccine even though she was fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Working as a journalist for a daily newspaper means more chances to be exposed to the coronavirus. She has to go outdoors often in order to cover news events, and believes that vaccination is the right way to protect herself from the pandemic. On Wednesday, she traveled 8.5 km from home in the east of the capital to Jakarta City Hall to receive the vaccine. "The vaccination must be complete on time. If it is not, we have to rebuild the antibodies all over again," Asti noted. Indonesia is pushing its COVID-19 vaccination drive in the holy month of Ramadan or 30 days with daily fasting from around 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Muslim community, which accounts for majority of the country's population. The Health Ministry's spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the inoculation campaign has continued after the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), a top Muslim clerical body, issued a fatwa that COVID-19 vaccination is allowed in Ramadan and it does not break their fast. "Based on this recommendation, we continue to carry out vaccination during the month of Ramadan," said Tarmizi. Tarmizi added that vaccination participants only need to get enough rest and eat nutritious food during pre-dawn meal before taking the jab. "COVID-19 vaccination, which is carried out by intramuscular injection, does not break the fast," said Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh, chief of the MUI Fatwa Commission. Moreover, the MUI made three recommendations in order that the COVID-19 vaccination in Ramadan will run smoothly in Indonesia. First, vaccination during the fasting month is allowed to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 by adjusting the physical condition of fasting Muslims. Second, vaccination can be done in the day or night after Muslims break their fasting if it is feared will weaken their physical condition. The third recommendation is that Muslims must participate in COVID-19 vaccination in order to realize herd immunity against the pandemic. Vaccination against COVID-19 in Indonesia kicked off on Jan. 13 this year, with a target of inoculating 181.5 million people until next year. As of Thursday, Indonesia had administered 17.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 6.49 million second doses for people. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Southeast Asian country was recorded at 1,626,812, with 1,481,449 recoveries and 44,172 deaths. *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-04/22/c_139898931.htm

Roundup: Indonesian companies participate in special COVID-19 vaccination scheme for faster herd immunity

JAKARTA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of companies in Indonesia have registered to participate in a COVID-19 vaccination program locally known as "Gotong Royong" to help the country achieve herd immunity faster. In this scheme, companies or legal entities can arrange the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for their employees for free. Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rosan Perkasa Roeslani said that 11,542 companies have registered for a total of 7,403,356 employees in the Gotong Royong Vaccination program. "The registration not only involves big companies but also medium-sized, and even small business players. I was surprised," said Roeslani, recently. The first phase of the registration for the Gotong Royong Vaccination program took place from Jan. 28 to Feb. 28, and the second phase is scheduled for March 10 and will last through March 24. Through this measure, the employees involved will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at an early date. It is the companies' responsibility to make employees feel safe and comfortable at work, thereby increasing productivity, Roeslani said. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said vaccine procurement for the scheme is carried out by the Ministry of State Owned Enterprises in collaboration with the state-owned vaccine manufacturer PT Bio Farma. Health ministry spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the Gotong Royong Vaccination program will not use Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Pfizer vaccines in order not to overlap with the government's vaccination program. The vaccine administration will be carried out in eligible private clinics. "It is not in the same health service facilities where the government vaccination program is held," Tarmizi said. According to Bio Farma's Chief Executive Officer Honesti Basyir, the company has signed agreements to buy the Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines for use in the Gotong Royong Vaccination program. *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-03/21/c_139825676.htm

Feature: Indonesian group sheds light for confusion over post-COVID-19 symptoms

JAKARTA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Juno Simorangkir, 36, a COVID-19 survivor in Indonesia, felt very confused when he faces the "long COVID" phenomenon. Even though he recovered from the infection and was confirmed negative for COVID-19 in April 2020, Simorangkir still felt symptoms of the disease in his body like hair loss, fatigue, coughing, hypertension and left chest pain. "There are up to 40 symptoms that I feel," Simorangkir told Xinhua on Wednesday. Simorangkir had consulted several doctors including pulmonologist, cardiologist, and internist, but they did not find anything unusual in his body. Results of an electrocardiogram test also concluded that Simorangkir was in good condition. In May 2020, Simorangkir started to meet with other COVID-19 survivors from various countries via the internet. They feel the same after-effects of COVID-19 as he suffers. In August 2020, Simorangkir participated in an international meeting of COVID-19 survivors with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, virtually. The meeting inspired Simorangkir to create COVID Survivor Indonesia (CSI), a group of survivors to support each other and share information. "With this group, we hope that no one will be confused with the 'long COVID' phenomenon, or feel lonely and sad amidst pains," said Simorangkir. When it was created in last August 2020, CSI was only based on a Facebook group, and now, this community has an Instagram account with more than 7,400 followers. Apart from survivors, the group is also supported by doctors, epidemiologists, and psychologists. Once in a while, CSI holds virtual discussions, inviting experts as speakers. Last month, the discussion was about the safety of vaccines for survivors, while in early March the discussion was about how to care for mental conditions after recovering from COVID-19. They also held the #BeatTheStigma campaign, to fight the stigma against COVID-19 survivors. There are many survivors who suffer a variety of discriminations because they were considered as community trash and source of infections. They were also ostracized, and terminated from their jobs as they were constantly sick and considered unproductive. One of the CSI members is Alida Susanti, 40, a resident of Depok city, West Java province, who lost her father due to COVID-19 and has felt the symptoms of "long COVID" until now. Amidst such a confusion with a series of symptoms, in December 2020, Susanti got acquainted with CSI via the Internet and felt that the group was very useful. The group answers the survivors' anxiety over the symptoms, and straightens out hoaxes circulating on various social media, said Susanti. Since then, Susanti has joined CSI and volunteered to spread information about "long COVID." At a press conference in Geneva on Feb. 12, Tedros said "long COVID" affects patients with both severe and mild COVID-19, and the best way to prevent this condition is to prevent COVID-19 in the first place. Dr. Janet Diaz, an expert with the WHO's Health Care Readiness team, said at another press conference that the post-COVID-19 condition was a heterogeneous group of symptoms that could occur up to six months after the illness. According to the expert, reports showed that the most common symptoms were fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and cognitive disfunction sometimes described as "brain fog." Shortness of breath, coughing, mental and neurological complications have also been reported, she said. Dr. Diaz explained that patients experiencing this condition "could have been hospitalized patients," but also those with mild symptoms, who were treated in ambulatory settings. "There is still a need to better understand this condition. It is not yet clear who is most at risk, and why it is happening in the first place," she said. *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-03/13/c_139808159.htm

Roundup: Indonesia imposes stricter restrictions to prevent spike in COVID-19 cases after year-end holidays

JAKARTA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has been imposing stricter restrictions from Dec. 18 to Jan. 8, 2021 to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases after the Christmas and year-end holiday seasons, officials said. Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the number of daily cases and deaths rose after long holidays at the end of October this year, especially in Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, Bali and South Kalimantan. "Previously, the trend of the cases in these areas had decreased," Pandjaitan, concurrently a deputy chairman of the National Committee for the COVID-19 Mitigation and Economic Recovery, told a meeting with ministers and regional heads on Monday. Every year in Indonesia, there is an exodus of people who work in major cities returning to their villages or towns of origin for family gatherings or just traveling during the Christmas and year-end holidays. This time, to deal with the exodus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has forbidden celebrations and gatherings of more than five people in public areas, and limited hours of service activities. Jakarta's Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria also emphasized that there would be no year-end celebrations in the capital city this year. The Jakarta administration has also limited operational hours for offices, malls, cafes, restaurants, places of interest and tourist attractions to 7:00 p.m. local time with a maximum capacity of 50 percent each. Meanwhile, Jakarta's Governor Anies Baswedan said, "We want them to remain at home." The central government also required people traveling to Jakarta and Yogyakarta province during that period to show negative antigen rapid test results. Bali, which required people only to show rapid test results, now obliges them to bring negative swab test results. In the meantime, South Tangerang city in Banten province does not require rapid antigen or swab test results, but encouraged the community in the city to strengthen micro-scale social restrictions, Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany said. The South Tangerang administration has also prohibited any gathering and limited the operating hours of malls and restaurants to 7:00 p.m. as have been done in the provinces of Lampung, West Java, and North Sulawesi. National COVID-19 Task Force's spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said the rise in the COVID-19 cases did not only occur during the long weekend last October but also happened after the Eid al-Fitr holidays (Islam's post fasting festivities) in May and the Independence Day vacation in August this year. The spike in the cases could trigger next impacts such as fully occupied hospitals and increases in medical workers' burdens, Adisasmito said. Meanwhile, the occupancy rates of isolation rooms and intensive care units at hospitals in several areas have exceeded 70 percent due to the soaring number of daily COVID-19 cases. Adisasmito noted that the average active cases in December were recorded at 14.39 percent of the total COVID-19 cases, up from 13.78 percent last month. As of Saturday, Indonesia has recorded a total of 657,948 cases, the highest in Southeast Asia, with 536,260 recovered patients and 19,659 people dead. To achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic, President Joko Widodo said the government would provide the people with the COVID-19 vaccines for free. "So there is no more reason that the public would not get the vaccines," Widodo said on Thursday. The president also emphasized that he would be among the first to be vaccinated in Indonesia to convince the public that the vaccine is safe. *http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2020-12/20/c_139604755.htm

Indonesia to reopen schools next year amid COVID-19 pandemic

JAKARTA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Students in Indonesia are expected to resume school as of January 2021 amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. 

Indonesian Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim said the school reopening is based on the level of risk of COVID-19 spread, the schools' readiness, and the orderly health protocols. 

Every student or teacher coming to school has to wear mask when he or she has a temperature of fewer than 38 centigrade, and wash hands with soaps frequently. 

Students would take turns coming to school, as 50 percent of them would be allowed in the class to maintain the distance protocol, while the rest would learn at home. 

Specifically, each class for early childhood education and the disabled only accommodates a maximum of five students. 

Learning activities proceed without sport exercises and extracurricular activities, while school canteens are closed. 

Makarim said that the reopening of schools should be based on the approval of the local administrations, school principals, and parents. 

"If the three parties agree, it means face-to-face schools can begin to be implemented," Makarim said last week. 

Schools would map students and employees who have comorbidities, those who do not have safe access to transportation, and those who have histories of travels from high-risk areas. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said health protocols to prevent transmission of cases are most important. "

Wearing a mask, keeping physical distancing, and washing hands are an adaptation to a new normal that must be applied with high discipline," he said. 

Putranto also said there are supports from community health centers in every sub-district to ensure health services for every student. 

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian underlined the importance of checking COVID-19 transmission outside school buildings. 

The Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) supports the reopening of schools, but suggests that the implementation cannot be fully left to the local governments. 

The central government needs to formulate an emergency curriculum, the association's General Chairperson Unifah Rosyidi said. 

"The government needs to simplify the curriculum because during pandemic learning activities, it cannot be carried out with a normal duration," added Rosyidi. 

The Indonesian Commission for the Protection of Children (KPAI) emphasized that the government needs to ensure that children should be protected from COVID-19 and schools should not become new clusters of transmission. "

There must be well-planned information, communication, coordination, and complaint systems so that the central and local governments can work together to prepare the reopening of schools," the KPAI's Commissioner Retno Listyarti said. 

The Jakarta Education Office is currently reviewing which schools are ready to operate in January 2021. 

The office's head Nahdiana said they need to prepare school sanitation and hygiene facilities, in addition to ensuring that they apply the rule on wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and washing hands. 

"The most important thing is that children must be healthy before they learn," Nahdiana added. 

Australia's Griffith University's Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said the government should maximize case-control first for about three months, and the result can be used to make decisions to reopen schools. 

Budiman explained that there are three criteria for reopening schools, namely the decline in daily cases for two consecutive weeks, the trend of decreasing cases with a positivity rate below 5 percent, and a single-digit daily death rate from COVID-19. Currently, Indonesia's positivity rate is still above 10 percent. 

*http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-11/29/c_139551417.htm

Indonesia: Residents seek gov't support after riots

Six-months-pregnant woman runs for her life as riots break out in Indonesia's easternmost province Papua

JAYAPURA, Indonesia

Nasriyah, six months pregnant, walked along a muddy swamp carrying Putri, her 15-month-old daughter. Her two other daughters, Riska and Ika, both teenagers, followed close behind, holding hands.

They all walked in a hurry towards the refugee post at the Jayapura Naval Base (Lantamal) X, after riots broke out in the restive region.

"I have lost all my strength, but I keep reminding myself that I have to keep going for the sake of my children," Nasriyah told Anadolu Agency.

Along with a number of auto shop employees, the family walked as far as four kilometers. Nasriyah’s husband was not there at that time.

Ten months ago, she and her husband Yusri decided to move from Makassar to Papua after Yusri got a job at an auto shop in Papua’s capital of Jayapura.

Before a string of protests condemning racist remarks against Papuans took place last week, police and soldiers urged the family to evacuate. So they chose to hide on the second floor while the protests broke out right in front of their auto shop.

The family hid while hoping the riots would come to an end. However, they did not.

Protesters set fires and started throwing stones. The smoke began to fill the second floor, where they hid.

Nasriyah said that she and her daughters jumped off the wall to save their lives and walked without stopping until they arrived at a refugee post.

"It was really hard. The hardest day of my life," she added.

A day after the incident, Nasriyah’s husband finally arrived at the post and told them that both of their house and shop at Koti Street had been completely burned.

All their belongings, including money and baby equipment for their newborn were burned to ashes.

"Hopefully, the government will help us out," said Nasriyah.

Shop owners need government support

Their neighbor Mohamad Jamhuri, 48, suffered a similar fate. He said that rioters looted his auto shop and torched the building and the vehicles.

Fortunately, his family and employees had already fled before the riots broke out.

Mohamad moved to Jayapura from East Java when he was four years old because his parents participated in the trans-migration program.

"I am not from a wealthy family. I started this business from scratch 15 years ago," he added.

He hopes that the government will provide assistance as soon as possible so he can restart his business.

After the riots broke out, the refugee post accommodated as many as 9,852 displaced people, including Nasriyah's and Mohamad's families. Currently, most evacuees have returned to their homes.

Authorities work on recovery

Rustam Saru, the deputy mayor of Jayapura, said authorities have been working to help Papuan residents to recover from their trauma.

According to Jayapura City Government data, 48 motorcycles and 24 cars were burned, while 182 shops were looted and torched down during riots.

"Based on data from Department of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives in Jayapura, we suffered an estimated loss of IDR29 billion [around $2 million]. Meanwhile, Jayapura City Social Service had estimated a loss of IDR17 billion [around $1.2 million]," the deputy mayor said.

Despite abundant natural resources, Papua and West Papua provinces have large populations living in poverty, as compared to the rest of the country.

According to Indonesia’s statistics agency, nearly 20% of people in the region are poor, compared to the national average of 9.4%.

At least 13 people have been killed in the easternmost province Papua region, including a military officer, in riots since Aug. 19.

The riots broke out following allegations of racist abuse and mistreatment of Papuan students on the island of Java.

*https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesia-residents-seek-govt-support-after-riots/1575247