Spokesperson of the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, pressed for continued public vigil amid increased transmission of COVID-19, with the number of new cases per day touching six thousand.
“New figures were consistently recorded in the last few weeks in terms of the rate of COVID-19 cases, after no increase was observed for a long time. Last time, Indonesia saw a figure above six thousand, and it was in March 2022,” he noted here on Friday.
The consistent increase in the number of cases began with a thousand cases at the start of June, two thousand at the start of July, and in three months, the number grew threefold, reaching six thousand cases.
“(The number of) active cases also increased. For a long time, there have been no active cases, with the figure being capped at 46 thousand. Last time, it occurred was in April, and now, it repeats,” he pointed out.
The death toll was also capped at 10 per day, an increase in the last three days.
Adisasmito noted that the increase in the number of positive active cases as well as the death rate were also apparent from the rate of positive cases recorded at above five percent, the rate set by the World Health Organization. It was capped at six percent this week.
“(It) means that transmission still exists and occurs among people, with exponential increase in the number of cases. Thus, people must be cautious of transmission that has grown rampantly again,” he reminded.
Despite a surge in cases, he drew attention to information that more people were being screened as compared to the start of July 2022.
“This increase needs to be lauded, as it means that more people grow increasingly aware to take the COVID-19 test whenever they experience symptoms or when they had come in close contact. With more being tested, we can know about the virus transmission more accurately,” he stated.
The hospital bed occupancy rate was also stable, capped at below 15 percent, in all provinces. The highest increase in the bed occupancy rate was observed in Bali, Jakarta, South Kalimantan, Banten, West Java, and Yogyakarta, which were provinces that contributed most to the count of daily cases.
“I always remind that although the bed occupancy rate is still under control, we not only have to protect ourselves but also others, especially the vulnerable ones,” he emphasized.
Infection from Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, caused mild to no symptoms. However, things could turn out differently for people from the vulnerable group, such as the elderly, he pointed out.
With public activities going on as usual again, the public needs to be more cautious by adhering to health protocols in a more disciplined manner to prevent an increase in cases later on.
Adisasmito reminded the people to remain disciplined in following health protocols, leading a healthy and clean lifestyle, and getting all three doses of vaccines.
“The good news is that the number of people, who received the booster vaccine, increased by 70 percent in the last four weeks. This shows that there are more people, who finally get booster vaccines, and this is very good, as it improves collective protection,” he remarked.
Source: Antara News