Covid-19 Cases Continue To Rise, Jusuf Kalla: If This Continues, April Could Reach 2 Million

Jusuf Kalla (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Jusuf Kalla (JK) is worried that positive cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia will reach 2 million people by the end of April 2021. This is because currently the number of COVID-19 transmission continues to increase. This figure is not impossible to achieve if the government is careless.

Based on data from the Ministry of Health, the total cumulative cases in Indonesia totaled 1,157,837 since the first case was announced on March 2. Meanwhile, new positive cases as of February 7 were 10,287 people.

Meanwhile, the confirmed positive cases who died increased by 163 people and the total was 31,556 people. Meanwhile, 10,806 people recovered, so that a total of 949,990 people recovered.

The 10th and 12th Vice Presidents explained that if the daily transmission reaches 12,000 to 14,000 cases, it is certain that the number of infected people will reach 2 million by the end of April this year.

"Every Tuesday to Saturday because Sunday and Monday people rarely go to swab, but once Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday there can be 14,000 more, if this goes on, without hard efforts, including important vaccinations, at the end of April it will be positive to 2 million," he said, at the launching of the BUMN Plasma program for Indonesia, Monday, February 8.

Furthermore, JK said this increase was much higher than before, where it took 10 months to get to the first 1 million mark. He said the concern about the increase in cases to this new psychological figure is the capacity of hospitals.

According to him, an alternative to address concerns about the rising active cases of COVID-19 is vaccination. Therefore, he asked all parties to help the government to accelerate the vaccination program. In addition, we must adhere to health protocols even though vaccinations are already running.

"Rapid vaccination can be overcome, accompanied by community discipline (prokes). Vaccination to stabilize and reduce (transmission) can vaccinate 1 million a day, one of the ways this (plasma therapy) is not reducing the positive but, God willing, reduce (the number of ) the people who died, "he said.

For your information, the Ministry of BUMN is conducting plasma donors in 34 provinces. PMI, which has been entrusted with being the organizer, provides 225 blood donor units in Indonesia.

JK noted, PMI has provided 14,500 bags of blood to those in need since last May 2020. However, that number is still far from sufficient as cases continue to grow.

"We have to encourage our neighbors to help each other, the efforts of this BUMN to help each other, we really appreciate it. PMI as the executor because it has 254 blood group units in Indonesia, but 34 blood group units that have the equipment to carry out conventional plasma donors once this program, "he said.