Central Java COVID-19 Cases Soaring After 2 Weeks Of Long Holidays, Health Office: Our Tests Are High

Illustration (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The increase in new cases of COVID-19 today has a new record, namely as many as 5,444 cases. Central Java Province is the largest contributor to cases, namely 1,362 cases.

Head of the Central Java Provincial Health Office, Yulianto explained that the spike in new cases in Central Java was caused by the high number of COVID-19 tests.

"We continue to improve the tests. Our average test in one day can now reach 6,000 tests. If the test number is high, the case finding will also be high," said Yulianto when contacted by VOI, Friday, November 13.

Based on the testing standards established by WHO, an area must carry out 1 test per 1,000 population per week. If you follow WHO standards, the minimum testing in Central Java in 1 day is 4,991 tests.

"If we refer to WHO standards, our tests must be 4,991 per day. That means, our test numbers have exceeded WHO standards," he said.

Yulianto admitted that there was a possibility that the increase in cases was due to the large number of residents taking vacations from big cities. Because this coincides with two weeks after the long holiday at the end of October.

"Maybe it has something to do with the long holiday, but we can't say what the correlation is. That needs further investigation," said Yulianto.

For information, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) releases the latest additional positive cases of COVID-19 today. A total of 42,333 specimens were examined today. As a result, there were 5,444 new positive cases of COVID-19.

This figure is a record of new cases in one day. The spike in new cases occurred after two weeks of a long holiday at the end of last October. Previously, the record for new cases was recorded on October 8 with 4,850 cases.

"The total accumulated positive cases since COVID-19 was discovered in Indonesia reached 457,753 people," data quoted from the Ministry of Health was quoted as saying.

Today's cases increased by 3,010, so that a total of 385,094 people recovered. Then, the confirmed positive cases who died increased by 104 people and a total of 15,037 people.

The province with the most new cases is Central Java with an increase of 1,362 cases and a total of 41,150 cases. Second, DKI Jakarta with 1,362 new cases and a total of 116,207 cases. DKI Jakarta is also the province with the most accumulated cases in Indonesia.

Followed by West Java, which has 801 new cases with a total of 43,373 cases. East Kalimantan has 277 new cases and a total of 16,661 cases. Then, East Java has 239 new cases and a total of 55,814 cases.

The province with the most cases recovered today belongs to DKI Jakarta with an increase of 977 recovered cases. Followed by West Java with an increase of 380 recovered cases, East Kalimantan with an increase of 340 recovered cases, and Central Java with an increase of 324 recovered cases.