Threat Of Increasing COVID Cases In Front Of Eyes, Epidemiologist: Don't Feel Safe!

JAKARTA - An epidemiologist from Australia's Grifith University, Dicky Budiman, asked the local government to promote the implementation of testing, tracing, and treatment or 3T to prevent an explosion of COVID-19 cases in the country. This request is intended primarily for areas that have minimal implementation.

Moreover, he assessed that the spread of COVID-19 in 2021 would be worse than a year ago. Thus, local governments assisted by the central government must act more optimally.

"Our response must also be bigger. It can't be the same as last year. It can't be random, it can't feel safe, especially in areas with minimal 3T capacity," said Dicky to VOI, Friday, June 18.

He said finding cases and isolating COVID-19 patients was an obligation. "If you can't test, you have to find cases quickly," he said.

"This is what the regional government must do with the support of the central government. If this is not done, we will experience an explosion of uncontrolled cases," he added.

Furthermore, he also mentioned the increase in cases that are currently happening in a number of areas. Dicky said this happened to coincide with the first wave of the spread of COVID-19 towards the peak.

Not only that, the entry of a new variant, namely the delta virus, has further exacerbated the spread of COVID-19 coupled with the loosening of public compliance with health protocols. It's just that, Dicky thinks, it's not just the people's fault. According to him, this also happened because the government had contributed.

Moreover, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he assessed that the implementation of health protocols had indeed been loose and this started with government policies ranging from holding elections to not anticipating long holidays.

"So the increase is not only one factor, such as the case of India, which has a very significant increase. Where the increase is not a curve but like a towering wall," he explained.

Previously reported, Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, admitted that the spike in cases four weeks after Eid 2021 was higher than in 2020.

"After juxtaposing it in the fourth week, it turns out that the increase in post-Idul Fitri cases this year nationally experienced a higher increase, reaching 112.22 percent. Meanwhile, the increase in cases in 2020 was 93.11 percent," said Wiku in a virtual press conference. , Thursday, June 17th.

Wiku admitted, a significant increase this year occurred within one week. Namely in the fourth week after Eid.

"In just one week, there was an increase of almost 2 times. This caused a significant difference in the situation in the third week ago with the current fourth week," he said.

Wiku detailed that the increase in the third week after Eid 2021 was only around 50 percent, while last year the increase was around 80 percent.

"In just one week, the percentage increase in cases this year can exceed the percentage increase in cases last year," said Wiku.