The COVID-19 Task Force Claims The Micro-Based Community Activity Restrictions Significantly Reduces COVID-19 Cases

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito claimed that the COVID-19 cases in the country had decreased following the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) which had only been implemented since 9 February.

"That during the four restrictions on community activities implementations at the regency/city level and one week for the implementation of micro-based community activity restrictions, there was a significant decrease from the second week of implementing PPKM in districts/cities", Wiku said in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Tuesday, February 16.

He then explained that on January 24, active cases reached a peak of 16.44 percent. Furthermore, this figure increased to 0.61 percent on the first day of implementing PPKM in districts/cities.

"However, this figure continues to decline to 14.69 percent or a decrease of 1.75 percent from its peak", said Wiku.

Subsequently, this percentage decreased again after a week of implementing the Micro-based PPKM. Wiku said, at that time, the number of active COVID-19 cases fell to 13.06 percent or around 3.8 percent.

"If we look at the absolute numbers, the active cases reached their highest peak on February 5, namely 176.672. This figure is the highest active cases since the beginning of the pandemic", he explained.

"This figure then slowly decreased until February 14th became 159.012. This shows that nearly 18 thousand cases have been completed in treatment with more than 16 thousand people who have recovered", he said.

Furthermore, Wiku also explained that PPKM and Micro-based had succeeded in reducing the level of filling of beds at the COVID-19 referral hospital. He said, on the first day of implementation of PPKM in districts/cities, the bed occupancy rate reached 67.47 percent.

However, along with the implementation of PPKM in districts/cities for four weeks, this figure decreased to 51.75 percent. "Even with the implementation of Micro-based PPKM for one week, the decline continued until it reached 49.92 percent", he concluded.