COVID-19 In Kudus And Bangkalan Soars, Deputy Minister Of Health: Example Of Ignoring Prokes

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said the surge in COVID-19 cases that currently hit Kudus (Central Java) and Bangkalan (East Java) was due to people's neglect of health protocols.

"The various examples of events that occurred in Kudus and Bangkalan that we don't want together are examples of what if we ignore proper health protocol activities," he said during a virtual event on Thursday's News Dialogue at the KPCPEN Media Center in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Thursday, June 10.

The rate of COVID-19 cases in the regions, he said, depended on the level of population mobilization, especially after the Lebaran holiday. It is not impossible that similar conditions also occur in other places.

The government from the beginning had a model that the rate of cases occurring in the regions would increase by about six to seven weeks from population mobilization.

"What happened in Kudus and Bangkalan is not only the responsibility of the region, but the national responsibility of the government and the community who will synergize together so that this activity can provide maximum results," he said.

Dante said areas that had experienced extreme conditions of increasing cases received assistance from health workers, health facilities, adequate medicines and carried out mitigation and evaluation as well as providing health management assistance.

In the same agenda, Kudus Regent M. Hartopo said the current spike in COVID-19 cases was almost 2,000. This figure missed the initial estimate of around 200 cases.

"My prediction yesterday after people were vaccinated there was a low point of up to 60 cases and even then mild and moderate symptoms. After Eid, my estimate is at most 200, it turns out that now there are almost 2,000 cases," he said.

He said the current number of COVID-19 cases exceeded the number of cases that occurred in the same period in 2020 which reached 185 cases.

The spike in cases, said Hartopo, was triggered by a number of factors, one of which was vaccination which made the people of Kudus feel immune to the virus.

"Whereas the vaccine is only for antibodies so that there are no severe symptoms," he said.

In addition, the culture of friendship during the Lebaran holiday makes people ignore the use of masks, especially when enjoying Eid meals.

"During Lebaran there is a gathering with relatives. They take off their masks and enjoy the existing dishes. This is an extraordinary potential," he said.