4 Weeks Of COVID-19 Cases In Papua And Purbalingga Rise, This Is What The Government Is Doing

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JAKARTA - The government is closely monitoring areas that have experienced an increase in cases of COVID-19 transmission for several weeks in a row.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that strict monitoring was carried out, among others, on Fakfak Regency in West Papua Province and Purbalingga Regency in Central Java Province.

According to him, the two regions experienced an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases for four consecutive weeks although the increase was relatively small.

He said that the government was also monitoring the transmission of the corona virus in North Lampung Regency, which recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases for three consecutive weeks.

In addition, he continued, monitoring was carried out in 16 other districts and cities that experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases for two consecutive weeks.

The Minister of Health stated that the tracking and examination of people who had close contact with COVID-19 sufferers tended to decline in areas experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"We see that cities where there is an increase in the discipline of tracing (tracking) close contacts and conducting testing for people who are defined as close contacts is already very low," he said as quoted by Antara, Monday, November 22.

"Therefore we urge all regional leaders, regents, mayors, to always improve and maintain the discipline of tracing and testing. This is very important to be able to prevent a new wave (of COVID-19 transmission)," he added. The government is trying to prevent an increase in the mobility of citizens who risk causing a spike in COVID-19 cases during the year-end holidays.

The government has implemented Level 3 restrictions on community activities (PPKM) throughout Indonesia and forbids state civil servants, members of the TNI and Polri, as well as employees of state-owned enterprises from taking leave at the end of the year.

The government has also intensified supervision of the implementation of health protocols at the community level.