20-12-2023 (JAKARTA) The JN.1 mutant strain of the coronavirus, which has swiftly made its presence felt in numerous countries, has now surfaced in Indonesia, with health authorities verifying the existence of at least four cases.
Maxi, Director of Disease Prevention and Control at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, announced on Tuesday (December 19) that the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus has established local transmission. The identified cases are distributed across South, East, North Jakarta, and Batam, with diagnoses reportedly made from the beginning to the middle of this month, as reported by Indonesian news website “Detik.”
JN.1 is identified as a sub-strain of the Omicron variant BA.2.86, and its recent emergence in the United States, China, Singapore, and other regions has drawn the attention of Indonesian health authorities. Maxi clarified that the four patients have exhibited mild symptoms, and there have been no reported fatalities associated with the JN.1 variant.
Indonesia has witnessed a notable surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. According to daily data released by health authorities, the country has recorded over 200 new cases each day in the past week, with Tuesday marking a peak of 453 new cases. The current active cases stand at 2,548.
Between the 10th and 16th of this month, Indonesia reported 1,900 new cases, more than double the 554 cases recorded in the preceding week.
Ngabila, head of epidemiological surveillance and immunization at the Jakarta Health Bureau, highlighted that approximately 90% of cases in Jakarta are either asymptomatic or present mild symptoms, often improving after three to five days of self-isolation. In Jakarta, around 60 hospitalized patients constitute approximately 10% of the active cases.
Closer to Singapore, Batam reported six confirmed cases on Tuesday. Patients are self-isolating, and those with pre-existing conditions receive treatment in hospitals. The local government has initiated contact tracing and epidemiological research in response to the cases.
The Indonesian Ministry of Health assures that the current situation is under control, with case numbers lower than during the previous coronavirus epidemic. However, authorities anticipate a continued upward trend in new cases following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Although mandatory self-isolation is not in effect as during the previous epidemic, health authorities strongly recommend self-isolation, even for those with mild symptoms, to safeguard vulnerable populations.
Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf stated on Monday, “The government is closely monitoring the situation, and mask-wearing has increased in certain areas. We have implemented health procedures, but we will assess how the coronavirus situation evolves.”
Ma’ruf emphasized that the government has not implemented specific measures in response to the current coronavirus situation but indicated readiness to convene and formulate a response plan should the risk escalate.
