Jokowi 34 Governors: Trend Of Increasing COVID-19 Still Occurs, Beware

President Joko Widodo while chairing a closed meeting (catch the YouTube screen of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo asked 34 governors in Indonesia to be careful in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. He reminded all governors to look at data and figures on the movement of COVID-19 cases considering that the current trend of increasing cases is still happening.

"I want to remind the governors to really look at the data and movement figures for COVID-19 cases in their respective regions. Be careful," said Jokowi while briefing governors online which was broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, September 1st.

The former Governor of DKI Jakarta then said that a number of countries in Europe and in Asia are now experiencing an increasing trend of positive cases of COVID-19. Indonesia is no exception.

However, Jokowi assessed that even though the increase continues, Indonesia's current condition still tends to be controlled and this must be maintained by regional heads by controlling and carrying out appropriate management in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jokowi further explained, from the data he had received as of August 31, currently the number of positive cases of COVID-19 had reached 175 thousand from the 2.23 million tests that had been carried out.

In addition, he explained that the healing rate has increased. If in April, the cure rate was only 15 percent, now the cure rate for COVID-19 patients in Indonesia has reached 72.1 percent.

"So there is a movement that is better, higher than the world average of 69 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, for active cases, Jokowi said that the percentage was currently decreasing. If in April the figure reached 77 percent, now the number is 23.69 percent. This figure is claimed by Jokowi to be much better than the world average of 27 percent.

"But for cases of death, this is careful. Even though the case fatality rate in Indonesia has decreased from 7.83 in April to 4.2 in this month, we still have big PR to lower it again," said Jokowi.

This figure needs to be reduced, because the 4.2 percent rate is still higher than the world death rate which is at 3.36 percent.

"This is our big job. Once again we have to be very careful so that we lose control in handling the spread of COVID," he said.

He then advised the governors to work hard to solve the pandemic problem in their area. Jokowi asked the regions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to be careful in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Be careful for numbers that are still high, I ask the governor to really work hard with the existing task force so that the numbers can be reduced. If there are problems, the central government must help, convey them mainly to our committees and task forces," he concluded. .