The Task Force Refuses To Change The Definition Of COVID-19 Death Proposed By Khofifah

JAKARTA - The Task Force for Handling COVID-19 rejected the proposal to change the definition of death related to COVID-19 from the Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa. Khofifah previously sent a letter to the Ministry of Health with suggestions regarding changing the definition of COVID-19 death cases.

In the proposal, Khofifah urged the central government to differentiate data on cases of pure death due to COVID-19, and cases of death due to comorbidities or previously having congenital diseases.

"At this time, the Indonesian government does not yet have a plan to make changes as proposed by the Governor of East Java," said Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for the COVID-19 Task Force in a press statement on the Presidential Secretariat Youtube account, Tuesday, September 22.

Wiku emphasized that currently the government is still using the definition of COVID-19 death, referring to the World Health Organization (WHO) reference as outlined in KMK-hk / 01/07 / Menkes / IV / 13 of 2020.

"In principle, reported cases of death are conservation and probable COVID-19 cases. Those probable cases are suspects with severe ARD, ARDS with a convincing clinical picture of COVID-19 and no PCR laboratory results," Wiku explained.