The use of masks is still mandatory in several sectors even though there has been no spike in Covid-19 cases in the last 12 months. The pandemic status has still not been revoked. However, the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that people may take off their masks under certain conditions.
Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin recently in a working meeting with Commission IX DPR RI, Wednesday (8/2/2023), explained that the Covid-19 pandemic was under control. Therefore, he allows people not to wear masks on condition that someone is healthy.
If a person feels unwell, he is advised to continue wearing a mask. This is because masks are effective in preventing the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.
He also said that the easing of mask regulations was a step that had to be taken if Indonesia wanted to change its status from a pandemic to an endemic one.
Regarding this matter, he will lobby the World Health Organization (WHO) in March so that the status of the Covid-19 pandemic is slowly repealed.
He will visit the WHO in March to declare that Indonesia is free from a pandemic.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health also said that the government would restore health through community participation because an antidote to the virus is already available. The government will only intervene in the community if non-medical interventions are not yet available.
Health as community participation is a form of transition from pandemic to endemic. In the future, the government will no longer intervene in public health.
