The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government has begun preparations for the region to host the MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Central Lombok District in March 2022. Secretary of the NTB Provincial Administration Lalu Gita Ariadi said that the successful implementation of the Asian Talent Cup (IATC) and World Superbike (WSBK) in NTB had become an evaluation to re-prepare Mandalika as the host of MotoGP in 2022. “Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the IATC and WSBK events in Mandalika went smoothly. Hopefully, we would be able to do better, as we prepare our region to host the 2022 MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit,” Ariadi stated at the IATC and WSBK Analysis and Evaluation Meeting here on Friday. Ariadi later noted that the success of organizing the two international events was an achievement, considering that this was the first time that NTB Province had held an international-scale racing event. To this end, he appealed to all supporting regional committees to strengthen collaboration in an effort to support the 2022 MotoGP in Mandalika. “The supporting regional committees must work well together to ensure that next year’s MotoGP event will run smoothly,” he stated. Ariadi also noted that the NTB provincial government was striving to handle various national agendas that were planned to be held in NTB, with focus on preparing for the 2022 MotoGP. “The provincial government is striving to handle national agendas that will be held at the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ), so that we can focus on hosting the 2022 MotoGP without any significant disruption,” he stated. Meanwhile, the NTB Police Chief, Inspector General Mohammad Iqbal, stated that his personnel were ready to maintain security, especially in improving the quality of service, as they had learnt from the evaluation of the IATC and WSBK events. “We will continue to improve our service for the community, because we are really enthusiastic and ready to secure the MotoGP event in March 2022,” Iqbal noted. During the implementation of IATC and WSBK, three variables had been successfully implemented before, during, and after the event, he added. “Those three variables are related to land disputes, the implementation of health protocols, and extraordinary security. We will improve our work, especially for the 2022 MotoGP event,” he noted. Source: Antara News

Based on a survey conducted from August 2020 to February 2021, the Health Ministry has estimated the number of Indonesians who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 at 16 million.

They included both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, it added.

“Yes, this is asymptomatic patients’ survey data from August to February 2021,” spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccinations at the Health Ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, informed here on Friday.

During the period, 60–80 percent of people infected with COVID-19 did not show symptoms, and therefore went undiagnosed, she said.

The asymptomatic patients’ survey was conducted by the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Faculty of Health, University of Indonesia, she added.

The survey was conducted in order to obtain seroprevalence data within a year of the pandemic striking the country, Tarmizi said. “So, it’s not the result of screening the estimated number of people infected with COVID-19,” she informed.

She confirmed that most asymptomatic patients in Indonesia were reported to have recovered. “Because if it gets worse, the report will definitely reach the health facility and it will definitely be diagnosed,” she added.

According to Tarmizi, testing and tracing for COVID-19 in Indonesia has approached the standard, and testing has even exceeded the WHO’s standard.

Currently, the national COVID-19 testing rate is 3.25 per 1,000 population, she disclosed. The standard set by WHO for the COVID-19 testing rate is 1 per 1,000 population, she said.

Earlier Tarmizi had said that the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has crossed 4.2 million so far. She estimated that the actual number would be four times the figure, that is, 16 million, if the approximate number of asymptomatic patients is included.

The figure is the result of a seroprevalence survey conducted with the Faculty of Public Health, the University of Indonesia, she pointed out.

 

Source: Antara News