National COVID-19 Cases Nanjak, West Java Up 100 Percent

COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito (Photo: BNPB doc)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said positive cases of COVID-19 nationally had increased by up to 9.5 percent. He called this increase soaring like the previous week.

"On January 31, there was a 9.5 percent increase in cases compared to the previous week. This figure increased slightly from the previous week but the increase was not as big as the previous weeks," Wiku said in a press conference broadcast online on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, February 2.

He then explained that the highest increase in cases was recorded by West Java. In this province, said Wiku, COVID-19 cases increased by almost 100 percent compared to the previous week.

"Then followed by East Kalimantan, Bali, South Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan which tended to record lower increases than last week," he said.

He did not deny that additional COVID-19 cases could also occur because many regions were late in recording data. "However, once again this condition does not automatically negate the fact that the transmission rate is still high in Indonesia," he said.

"COVID-19 is still a big threat to our society and economy. So that both central and local governments continue to strive to improve COVID-19 services such as increasing the number of beds, providing laboratory examination support equipment, and increasing COVID-19 examinations," added Wiku.

Previously reported, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) released the latest additional positive cases of COVID-19 today. A total of 71,702 specimens were examined today. As a result, there were 10,379 new positive cases of COVID-19.

"The total accumulation of positive cases since COVID-19 was discovered in Indonesia has reached 1,099,687 people," the Ministry of Health was quoted as saying, Tuesday, February 2.

Today's recovered cases have increased by 12,848 cases, so that a total of 896,530 people recovered. Then, the confirmed positive cases who died increased by 304 people and a total of 30,581 people.

In addition, the number of specimens examined reached 9,358,604. In detail, a total of 9,217,289 specimens were examined using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 141,315 using a molecular rapid test (TCM).

"The cumulative positive results per number of people examined or a positivity rate of 17.6 percent," he wrote.

For the number of people suspected of having contracted COVID-19 or who are currently categorized as suspected cases, it was recorded at 75,533 people. Currently, 510 districts / cities from 34 provinces have cases of COVID-19.