Government Strengthens Surveillance To Anticipate COVID-19 Cases

ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 Handling Task Force (Satgas) said the government will continue to strengthen surveillance in order to anticipate COVID-19 cases.

"The central government in collaboration with the Health Office and the Education Office in each region continues to carry out surveillance, both active and passive, to anticipate cases," said Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, quoted by Antara, Thursday, November 16.

He said that based on data submitted by the Ministry of Health, there were 126 districts/cities whose cases had increased.

"So the 'update' of data that has been submitted by the Ministry of Health is based on data collected on the dashboard of safe schools and safe madrasas managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) together with the Ministry of Religion," he explained.

In principle, he continued, COVID-19 data were collected from the same source, namely regional data and processed according to the needs of each ministry and agency for specific decision-making.

He added that the case findings in 126 districts/cities were the result of an epidemiological investigation from the local Health Service.

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that most of the increase in positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a number of areas in the last three weeks was contributed by school activities and takziyah (mayat).

"Last week, based on observations from the Ministry of Health, there were 126 regencies/cities whose cases had increased, some of which had increased for three weeks in a row," said Minister of Health Budi.

Due to this situation, the Ministry of Health has investigated and most of the increase in COVID-19 cases is due to positive cases in schools and takziyah.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Culture, said Budi, are seeking consolidation so that the situation can be resolved this week.

The consolidation in question encourages more proactive surveillance so that face-to-face learning programs in schools can continue to run.