COVID-19 Cases Increase In Several Regions, Minister Of Health Budi Reveals The Cause

JAKARTA - Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said the increase in COVID-19 cases in 126 regencies/cities that had occurred over the past few weeks was due to the start of returning students to school for face-to-face learning (PTM).

Not only that, the takziah (mourn) activities that are now being carried out by many people after the relaxation of the PPKM have also made an increase in COVID-19 cases in several areas.

"Last week, based on observations, there were 126 regencies/cities that went up. Some of them have gone up three weeks in a row, so we are investigating and most of the increase is because there are positive cases in schools and takziah", said Budi in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Monday, November 15.

For this reason, Budi will consolidate with the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, to prevent the re-increase of positive cases of COVID-19 after the PTM is implemented.

"Hopefully this week we can finish how we can do face-to-face learning programs but with active and proactive surveillance", said the former Deputy Minister of SOEs.

Furthermore, efforts to suppress COVID-19 cases will also be carried out by the Ministry of Health by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) orders. Moreover, five provinces have experienced an increase in active cases after a period of sloping down.

However, Budi did not describe the five provinces in question. However, he said the entire province was on the island of Java.

"The President emphasized that the five provinces whose number of cases have started to decline and there are indications that there is an increase (it must be, ed) are closely monitored. The five are provinces in West Java", he said.

"Indeed, thank God the cases have decreased but we have to be extra vigilant against Christmas and New Year. Don't let the next spike happen", concluded Budi.