Task Force: Changes In Virus Variants - Easing Of The Procedure Triggers An Increase In Cases

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JAKARTA - The COVID-19 Task Force is analyzing why the number of COVID-19 cases has started to climb lately. The reason is the change in virus variants which is accompanied by an easing of compliance with health protocols.

"Every time there is a change in variance, it results in an increase in cases accompanied by other factors such as easing of health protocols in the community, individuals, families and communities," said Head of the Health Support Sub-Division for the Emergency Division of the COVID-19 Task Force Alexander K Ginting, Thursday, June 16, quoted from Antara.

"The pattern is known based on the history of the pandemics that have occurred in the country in the last two years," said Alexander.

From January to March 2021, Indonesia was in an emergency phase marked by an increase in the number of active cases from 100,000 to 175,000.

In May, June and July 2021, said Alexander, active cases reached 550 thousand cases. "At the peak in July, there was a new variant of Delta. In January, the original strain was Wuhan," he said.

Through comprehensive control and immunity from vaccines, Indonesia entered the pandemic control phase around September, October, November 2021. But on December 16, 2021, Indonesia again experienced an increase in cases that peaked in February-March 2022 and coincided with the emergence of Omicron and the BA subvariant.1 and BA.2, BA.3.

"Only in April 2022, we experienced a decline because of the transmission that can be controlled, but also because the body's immunity has been built. The complete dose of vaccination has been 80 percent and 54 million people have been boosted (boost doses)," he said.

At the same event, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said that five provinces in Indonesia experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases, which had occurred since June 10, 2022 until now.

"The increase in COVID-19 cases has occurred since June 10, 2022, there are 627 cases. Three days later it had decreased, and now it has increased again to 1,242 cases," he said.

Syahril said the five provinces with the highest number of cases nationally were Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java and East Java.

Syahril, who also serves as Director of RSPI Sulianti Saroso, said that the main reason for the increase in cases was the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19 which was part of the dynamics of the pandemic.

The increase in cases that might occur at this time, said Syahril, was influenced by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. "We're still in control, don't let it be like what happened last time because of Delta and Omicron," he said.