Increasing Death Rate, Task Force Asks Regions To Simplify Referral Procedures For COVID-19 Treatment

Spokesperson for the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito (Photo via screenshot / Diah Ayu VOI)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said there was an increase in the death rate of COVID-19 cases this week by 0.3 percent compared to the previous week.

Seeing that the weekly death rate is still increasing, Wiku asked local governments with a high mortality rate to simplify the referral process in the care of COVID-19 patients.

Wiku said that the increase in mortality occurred due to areas that were unable to provide good health services and the community was late in getting treatment at the hospital because it turned out that the referral process was long.

"I ask the local government together with the Health Office to shorten the referral flow for the treatment of COVID-19 patients as efficiently as possible so that cases can really be suppressed," Wiku said in a Youtube broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, January 5.

There are five provinces that experienced the highest weekly increase in death cases "The province with the highest increase in deaths came from East Java with 53 cases, North Kalimantan up 20 cases, DKI Jakarta up 20 cases, Southeast Sulawesi up 15 cases, and Lampung up 12 cases, "explained Wiku.

The details, based on data from the Task Force as of January 3, 2021, the accumulated deaths of COVID-19 cases in East Java last week were 373 cases and this week there were 426 cases.

Second, the accumulated death of COVID-19 cases in North Kalimantan last week was 2 cases and this week there were 20 cases. Third, the accumulated death of COVID-19 cases in DKI Jakarta last week was 117 cases and this week there were 137 cases.

Fourth, the accumulated death of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Sulawesi last week was 7 cases and this week there were 22 cases. Fifth, the accumulated deaths of COVID-19 cases in Lampung last week were 117 cases and this week there were 137 cases.

Wiku explained, the development of COVID-19 death cases in the last week was less than the increase in COVID-19 deaths two weeks ago which had an increase of 20 percent.

However, although the percentage increase in weekly deaths decreased from the previous week, this week there were 4 provinces that were not previously included in the top five highest deaths.

"This means that the quality of handling positive COVID-19 patients is still fluctuating and requires improvement in all provinces in Indonesia," he added.