Indonesia beefs up COVID-19 control, security ahead of G20 summit-Xinhua

Office workers wait for public transport buses at Thamrin Street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sept. 8, 2022. (Photo by Veri Sanovri/Xinhua)

The Indonesia Health Ministry has arranged COVID-19 preventative measures and will provide access for G20 summit delegates to health services. Meanwhile, more than 2,500 personnel from the Bali police will be assigned for the G20 event.

by Dames Alexander Sinaga

JAKARTA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — Indonesia is beefing up COVID-19 pandemic control and tightening security against terrorists on the island of Bali in preparation for the Group of 20 (G20) summit slated for November.

The number of newly-confirmed COVID-19 infections keeps rising in the Southeast Asian country, largely due to the emergence of the more transmissible Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5.

On Friday, health authorities confirmed 2,804 new cases across the country with 12 related deaths. Bali reported 36 new cases.

The country’s health ministry has been improving its COVID-19 contact tracing application PeduliLindungi, which is generally used to gain access to public sites, such as airports, hospitals and supermarkets.

Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono has told media that the ministry was in the process of adding 14 foreign languages to the app to meet the needs of delegates participating in the upcoming international event. All delegates, he said, have to be fully vaccinated and registered on PeduliLindungi prior to their departures.

“Delegates are expected to have…