COVID-19 Still Crazy, Luhut: Government Prepares Worst Scenario If Positive Cases Reach 100 Thousand Per Day

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Doc. Kemenko Marves)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that his party had prepared a worst-case scenario if the number of COVID-19 cases penetrated 100 thousand per day.

Furthermore, Luhut admitted that he had predicted that COVID-19 cases in the country would continue to soar to more than 50 thousand cases per day.

"We expected our (COVID-19 cases) to rise above (50 thousand). We didn't expect it to reach 100 thousand (cases), but if that happened, we have planned (scenarios) to get there. Here we are clear to see it," he said in a virtual press conference, Thursday, July 15.

The coordinator of the Java-Bali Emergency PPKM revealed that the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country was dominated by the delta variant virus. In this case, said Luhut, the transmission was six times faster than the other variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Luhut also admitted that it was quite difficult to control the handling of the increasing cases due to the Delta variant of COVID-19.

"The increase in cases is dominated by the Delta variant, where in my opinion this variant reads six times faster than the Alpha variant. So we face different enemies. Of course, with all the resources we face, this is not easy," he said.

Therefore, said Luhut, to anticipate the surge in COVID-19 patients in hospitals, the government is recruiting medical personnel, namely nurses and doctors who have just finished their education to help deal with COVID-19.

"There are more than 20 thousand nurses who are immediately trained, then hired. All administration, their resting place has been prepared by the government. We have also recruited 2,000 doctors who have just graduated, we are training and immediately mobilizing," he explained.

Not only that, said Luhut, the government also supplied free medicines for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms and people without symptoms (OTG). The drug packages have been distributed to the public as of Thursday, July 15.

"We are launching the distribution of free medicines today for 300 thousand boxes. We are also aware now that the handling of mild cases, not moderate and severe cases, is super important," he said.

Furthermore, Luhut also detailed that the distribution of the package as much as 10 percent was allocated to packages for people without symptoms (OTG). Then, as much as 60 percent for the package of symptoms of fever and anosmia. While the remaining 30 percent are packages for mild symptoms of fever and cough.

According to Luhut, the allocation of drug distribution is based on the number of active cases undergoing self-isolation (isoman) in each district and city. The TNI Health Center will be the command center for the distribution of the drug along with each Kesdam.

"The criteria are doctors already know that, so I think there is no problem, we have prepared everything well," he explained.

The Java-Bali Emergency PPKM Coordinator said the government was bringing in medical needs from various countries.

"All of this data is on the right track. There are several drugs that are flown in from various countries. Tocilizumab is very expensive but already in the process, as well as Remdesivir has also been imported," he explained.