14 Omicron Cases Detected In South Kalimantan

Head of the South Kalimantan Health Office, Muhammad Muslim. (ANTARA/Word)

BANJARMASIN - Head of the South Kalimantan (Kalsel) Health Service, Muhamad Muslim, said that until now there have been 14 cases of Omicron detected in the province based on test results on samples of patients confirmed positive.

"Of course we are aware of the spread of Omicron, which spreads so quickly even though the symptoms are not as severe as the Delta variant," he said in Banjarmasin, as reported by Antara, Friday, February 11.

Since mid-January 2022, a spike in COVID-19 cases in South Kalimantan has continued to occur. As of Thursday, 10 data from the South Kalimantan Health Office showed that 2,638 patients were being treated with daily cases of 443 confirmed positive, 20 people recovering, and one death.

Muslim revealed that of the number who were confirmed positive, 218 of them or around 9.8 percent were hospitalized.

This figure is still relatively lower when compared to patients infected with the Delta variant in August 2021, who had more moderate to severe symptoms and had to be hospitalized.

"The governor's instructions are clear that only patients with moderate symptoms and beyond are hospitalized. Meanwhile, mild symptoms and asymptomatic ones are sufficient for self-isolation or centralized isolation (isoter)," he said. due to the Omicron variant.

It is recorded that around 1,400 beds are available and currently several isoter locations are starting to be opened according to needs.

Muslims admit that those who are confirmed positive but have no symptoms or mild symptoms have mostly received the full dose of the vaccine.

This, he said, became his motivation to accelerate the second and third doses of vaccination or boosters.

"Especially at risk groups such as the elderly and children, we hope that by the end of February this will reach 70 percent," he said.