Help is Coming: 50 Million Pfizer-BioNTech Doses Headed for Indonesia
Pfizer Indonesia and BioNTech have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Health to supply 50 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Indonesia in 2021. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but the terms were based on the timing of delivery and the volume of doses, the companies said in a release.
Shortly after the initial announcement from Pfizer, today, July 15, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) said it had issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval for the Pfizer vaccine. BPOM head Penny Lukito said the EUA issuance would expand the variety of vaccines available here.
“We are extremely pleased and thrilled to have signed this important agreement with the Government of Indonesia as part of our shared commitment to address this global health threat. This agreement is one significant step to bring a Covid-19 vaccine to protect health and save lives across the country, and can restore Indonesia’s economy as well as accelerate return to normal life for the Indonesian people,” said Stephen Leung, Country Manager of Pfizer Indonesia. “In the face of this global health crisis, Pfizer’s purpose – breakthroughs that change patients’ lives – has taken on an even greater urgency.”
“I would like to thank the Government of Indonesia for its support and putting trust in our ability to develop a vaccine that, we believe, has the potential to help address this global pandemic threat. Our goal remains to deliver a global supply of a well-tolerated and effective Covid-19 vaccine for many people around the world, as quickly as we can,” said Sean Marett, Chief Business and Chief Commercial Officer at BioNTech.
BPOM issued the EUA after data from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed the Pfizer vaccine has 95.5 percent efficacy for patients aged 16 and above, and 100 percent efficacy for patients aged 12-15.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson for Vaccination Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi told the press that the first batch of Pfizer vaccines will arrive sometime in August and that each month’s shipment will contain anywhere between 7.5 million to 12 million doses.
Around 12.5 million Indonesians have received two doses of a vaccine so far, while the government aims to vaccinate 1 million people a day, a goal far from being met.
The current spike in Covid cases in Indonesia has the country registering more than 50,000 cases a day while health care facilities are said to be near the breaking point in Jakarta.
Related links:
- https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20210715145336-20-668159/bpom-terbitkan-izin-penggunaan-darurat-vaksin-covid-19-pfizer
- https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/07/15/pfizer-biontech-announces-50-million-dose-deal-with-indonesia.html
CLICK HERE FOR PFIZER PRESS RELEASE
Record 56,757 New Covid-19 Cases Today
The Ministry of Health recorded 56,757 new Covid-19 cases today, July 15, bringing the total to 2,726,803 since the pandemic began. This is an increase of just over 2,000 from the previous day, compared to rises approaching 7,000 earlier in the week. The number of recovered cases increased to 19,049 for a total of 2,176,412.
Meanwhile, the recent increase in Covid-19 positive cases is due to an increase in testing, said the Ministry of Health Spokesperson for Vaccination, Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi. According to data on July 14 172,859 persons were tested, up from 159,354 on July 13 and 123,317 on July 12.
Dr. Siti stressed the increase in cases merely corresponded to the increase in testing, hence the overall positivity rate remained stable. Enhancements to the automated verification system in Covid-19 testing laboratories have made data reports more transparent and timely, contributing to more cases being reported to the Ministry of Health.
Yesterday, July 14, Indonesia overtook India to become the country with the fifth-highest cumulative active cases worldwide, with 443,743 cases. Indonesia is now closing in on Russia (454,241). Indonesia's 54,517 new daily cases on July 14 was the highest number worldwide, overtaking the UK with 42,302 and India with 36,390.
Related links:
- https://katadata.co.id/ameidyonasution/berita/60eef05edd111/penyebab-rekor-tinggi-corona-ri-pemerintah-kejar-tes-324-ribu-sehari
- https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20210714232732-4-260962/resmi-kasus-aktif-covid-19-di-indonesia-kalahkan-india
- https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20210715145853-4-261179/covid-makin-ganas-hari-ini-ri-cetak-rekor-56757-pasien-baru
More Road Blocks in Greater Jakarta
The metropolitan police have expanded the number of road blocks during the emergency PPKM to 100 locations starting today, July 15. The road blocks will be separated into two shifts: 06.00-10.00, and 10.00-20.00. Critical and essential workers are urged to travel during the first shift, as only health workers, police, and the military are allowed to pass the road block during the second shift.
The policy comes as several regions have seen an increase in mobility during the emergency PPKM, particularly intra-city traffic. Director of Traffic for the Metro Jaya Police, Sambodo Purnomo Yogo, said that at the beginning of the emergency PPKM there was a 30 percent decrease in mobility. However, mobility soon increased again. He said mobility was initially reduced by 30 percent on July 5, but was under 20 percent on July 11, far below the reduction target of 30-50 percent.
For the full list of affected roads, please check the link below.
Related link:
Government Extends Covid-19 Tax Incentives
The Ministry of Finance will extend the tax incentive period while paying close attention to the fiscal capacity to support public health programs and speed up national economic recovery under regulation PMK 82/PMK.03/2021. The new regulation alters several articles in the previous Covid-19 tax incentives regulation PMK 9/PMK.03/2021. It came into effect on July 1.
The new regulation revises Article 18 of the previous regulation to give further details on the extension of the tax incentive period. Article 18 (3) extends the tax incentive period for the types of taxes as specified in Paragraph 1 to the December 2021 tax period, while Article 18 (4) extends the tax incentive period for Article 22 Import Tax (PPh Pasal 22 Impor) to December 31, 2021. Lastly, the revised Article 18 gives details on the criteria of employers and taxpayers that are able to benefit from the tax incentives.
The updated regulation also provides two new articles, Article 19A and Article 19B. Article 19A explains the procedures to apply and benefit from the specified PPh Article 21 and PPh Article 25 tax incentives, whereas Article 19B gives details on when to provide notice for the specified tax incentives and send their corrected realization report on the utilization of tax incentives. For more information and details, please refer to the regulation attached below.
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AmCham Update is AmCham's regular newsletter on developments related to the pandemic crisis and other issues in Indonesia. It is edited by AmCham Managing Director A Lin Neumann and written by the AmCham Staff. Paul L Goddard is the Managing Editor
