JAYAPURA - The Papua Health Department has begun in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

Although not worried about the jump in the case, the Head of the Papua Health Department, Robby Kayame, still invited the press to participate in socializing the importance of vaccination for the community.

"Vaccination is one of the important factors to anticipate the transmission of COVID".

"And the main thing is also how the media helps and plays a role in socializing the importance of vaccination so that transmission can be suppressed," he explained in Jayapura, Tuesday (5/7/2022).

Robby said that his agency is currently ready and quite experienced in controlling COVID-19 since it began to enter Papua in 2020.

On the other hand, for now in terms of personnel, strategy, equipment and others, it is in a ready position.

"It is worried that is certainly different from 2020. Because today the human resources are ready, the strategy is ready, the SOP and equipment are also ready," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Jayapura Regional Hospital, Anton Mote, said that he had alerted a special team at the local hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.

"Our team is already on standby, but now it is treating general patients. But if there is a case, this team will come back," he said.

In addition, Anton added, his party has also prepared a building that has been renovated specifically to treat COVID-19 patients.

"This two-story building has a capacity of 18 rooms. Four of those rooms are for COVID-19 ICU care. Meanwhile, medicines, Personal Protective Equipment and others are all 100 percent ready," he concluded. ***