Indonesia detects cases of COVID-19 subvariant BA.2.75

Indonesia has detected cases of the highly contagious COVID-19 subvariant Omicron BA.2.75, or Centaurus, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said.

"One case is in Bali, an international traveler, and the other two are in Jakarta which may have local transmission. We are still looking for the source of the transmission," Sadikin told a press conference on Monday.

The minister explained that Centaurus was first detected in India in May and has spread to at least 15 countries, including Britain, the United States, Australia, Germany and Canada.

The emergence of a variant that the World Health Organization categorizes as a Variant of Concern Lineage Under Monitoring makes scientists worry about its ability to penetrate the immunity built by vaccines or previous infections.

Indonesia has emerged from the third wave of COVID-19 transmission with a peak of 64,718 cases on January 16 and is now facing another spike with more than 3,000 new patients per day.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said at the same press conference that the islands of Java and Bali accounted for up to 95 percent of national daily cases, but the bed occupancy rate was still under control.

The coverage of first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines has reached more than 70 percent of the population in Indonesia, except Papua and West Papua provinces.

The government requires a booster shot for those who take long-distance trips or participate in large gatherings to stem the transmission of new subvariants.