CILACAP - Cilacap Regent Tatto Suwarto Pamuji stated that one of the nine confirmed COVID-19 patients with the Omicron variant in Central Java was not a resident of Cilacap Regency.
"We can confirm that the patient with the initials ZS (51) is not a resident of Cilacap. The person concerned is a resident of Pematangsiantar City, North Sumatra, who stopped in Cilacap," he said during a press conference at the Cilacap Regent's Official Home, reported by Antara, Monday, January 24.
Based on the chronology compiled by the Cilacap Regency COVID-19 Task Force, ZS is known to have traveled from Jakarta to meet one of his colleagues in Cilacap on January 4, 2022.
According to him, ZS who got off at one of the stations in Cilacap Regency immediately took a conventional motorcycle taxi to the inn.
"However, Mr. ZS said he did not remember the location of his stay, the name of the inn, there was no receipt for payment," said the regent.
The next day, January 5, he said, ZS went to Pertamina Hospital Cilacap to undergo a PCR test because he would return to Medan via Yogyakarta Airport.
However, before the results of the PCR test came out, he continued, ZS had already left for Yogyakarta because his brother had picked him up.
"Due to the positive PCR test result, Mr. ZS then underwent self-isolation at his brother's place located in Godean, Sleman Regency. His condition is good and without symptoms," he said.
Tatto Suwarto said that the Cilacap Regency Government on Friday, January 21 received the results of the examination of the whole genome sequence (WGS) sample on behalf of the patient with the initials ZS and it was confirmed that the omicron variant was confirmed.
In this regard, the regent of Cilacap appealed to the people of Cilacap Regency not to be careless and remain vigilant and disciplined in implementing the COVID-19 health protocol.
"Keep your distance, avoid crowds, always wear a mask, always wash your hands with soap and running water, and apply a clean and healthy lifestyle. For those who have not been vaccinated, please follow the vaccination immediately, hopefully the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon," he said.
Meanwhile, Cilacap Police Chief AKBP Eko Widiantoro said his party would be more selective in implementing health protocol enforcement efforts, especially in places prone to crowds that could increase the spread of COVID-19.
According to him, his party will soon hold a meeting with the Cilacap Regency COVID-19 Handling Task Force related to the implementation of health protocol enforcement activities.
"Before this (the case of Omicron, ed) spread, we at least made maximum prevention efforts," he said.
When asked about the increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Cilacap in the last two weeks, the Head of the Cilacap District Health Office, Pramesti Griana Dewi, said the increase in tracing should not be considered as the cause of the increase in cases.
In this case, he said, his party must increase tracing and testing activities optimally.
"So, the increase in the last two weeks is indeed due to an increase in the number of travelers, especially foreign travelers. We know that the last two cases were travelers from South Korea," he said.
According to him, the two travelers from South Korea turned out to be positive for COVID-19 and when tracing was carried out, each of at least 15 people in the vicinity, two more people were found who were positive.
"This means that we really strengthen tracing and testing to be able to detect early when there is a local transmission. Indeed, currently there is an increase in cases where one of the causes is the increasing number of travelers entering Cilacap," he said.
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