COVID-19 Testing Rate Exceeds WHO Standards, DPR: Government Don't Be Lulled

JAKARTA - The government claims to have tested 1.1 million people per week for COVID-19 on Monday, September 20, 2021. This number has exceeded the WHO standard of around 270 thousand people per week with a positivity rate below 5 percent.

However, Member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX, Netty Prasetiyani Aher, asked the government not to be complacent with the targets that have been exceeded. She suggested that the Government should continue to increase testing and tracing for COVID-19.

"The central and regional governments must continue to increase testing and tracing in an effort to find positive cases and close contacts of COVID-19," said Netty to reporters, Sunday, September 26.

According to her, the government must remain vigilant because currently there has been an easing of the Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) which could trigger a spike in cases. One of them is face-to-face learning (PTM) which has been implemented in several areas.

It is known that a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) on schools that held limited PTM in West Java showed 1.152 teachers and education personnel, as well as 2.478 students, were infected with COVID-19 during the limited PTM event. From the same source, it is known that there are 149 schools in West Java that have become COVID-19 clusters.

Therefore, the West Java legislator reminded the local government to increase testing and tracing, especially in schools that have organized PTM.

"Beware of PTM by conducting periodic testing. Do it as an anticipatory step to protect students and educators," said Netty.

The PKS Party politician said the local government need not worry that increasing testing will increase the number of positive cases. The reason, she said, if the countermeasures work well, the positive rate will remain low even though testing increases.

"Indeed, with the discovery of new cases, the Regional Government can handle it as early as possible so that cases do not worsen. It is proven that areas with high testing and tracing are faster in reducing cases, such as Jakarta and East Java," concluded Netty.