The Indonesian Government on Tuesday asked schools to carry out limited offline learning as more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, a minister said.
Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim said that limited offline (face to face) learning can start Tuesday with parental consents and the implementation of health protocols.
“Then in the next semester in July 2021, all schools will have carried out offline learning,’’ said Makarim.
Indonesia started its COVID-19 vaccination programme on Jan. 13, with a target of 181.5 million people until next year.
Teachers are the second priority target for COVID-19 vaccination after medical workers.
Moreover, 22 per cent of schools have carried out offline learning since January 2021.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia decreased after vaccinations were carried out, and the number of infected medical workers and the bed occupancy ratio in hospitals also dropped.
“This mass vaccination is part of our hopes, dreams and efforts to return to normal life as before. Don’t hesitate to get vaccinated. We are racing against time,’’ the president explained on his Instagram page on Sunday.
In Indonesia, there are currently 53.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac and British corporation AstraZeneca, while the others would arrive.
These vaccines, the president said, were also safe and allowed to use.
