COVID-19 in Indonesia: Indonesia Urges Vigilance Despite Low Transmission Rates

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -  The Indonesian Health Ministry has issued a circular concerning heightened vigilance against a recent increase in COVID-19 cases. This directive comes in response to rising infection rates in several Asian countries, including Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

"Nevertheless, transmission remains relatively low, and the mortality rate is also low," said the Health Ministry in the circular, which was signed by Director General of Disease Control, Murti Utami.

The circular, numbered SR.03.01/C/1422/2025 and issued on Friday, May 23, 2025, specifies the dominant COVID-19 variants spreading in the affected regions: XEC and JN.1 in Thailand, LF.7 and NB.1.8 (a sub-lineage of JN.1) in Singapore, JN.1 in Hong Kong, and XEC (also a sub-lineage of JN.1) in Malaysia.

The COVID-19 situation in Indonesia shows a decreasing trend in weekly confirmed cases as of the 20th week of 2025. Cases dropped from 28 in the 19th week to three in the 20th week, with a positivity rate of 0.59 percent. The predominant variant circulating in Indonesia is MB.1.1.

"This circular aims to increase vigilance for COVID-19 and other potential extraordinary events/disease outbreaks for Health Offices, Health Quarantine Units, Public Health Laboratory Units, health service facilities, and relevant stakeholders," the circular affirmed.

In this circular, the Health Ministry requests all health facilities to re-socialize health protocols to the public, echoing measures taken during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, health facilities are expected to conduct mapping and carry out detection efforts as required.

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