JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health has determined the use of rapid antigen tests to track, diagnose, and screen COVID-19 in the community.
These test kits will be provided at Public Health Center (Puskesmas) and procurement will be the responsibility of the central and local governments.
However, this policy was established after it was stated in the Decree of the Minister of Health Number HK.01.07/MENKES/446/2021 concerning the Use of the Rapid Diagnostic Test Antigen in Examination of COVID-19.
"This (rapid antigen test) is used for the benefit of epidemiologists to diagnose it", said COVID-19 Vaccination spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, in a statement quoted on the website of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Wednesday, February 10.
Nadia emphasized that the rapid antigen test is used only for the benefit of contact tracing and can be accessed free of charge. This differs from the use of a rapid antigen test as a condition for traveling, which must be accessed independently or paid for.
Furthermore, the results of the rapid antigen test will be recorded and reported as a positive confirmed case similar to the results of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. However, the reporting system will be separated from which one comes from the rapid test antigen and which one comes from real-time PCR.
"The use of the antigen rapid test must still pay attention to a number of criteria, including selection, use, inspection facilities and inspectors, recording and reporting, quality assurance of inspection, and waste management of inspection", she said.
Nadia said the use of this test can only be done within seven days after symptoms occur. This is to improve test performance.
In an effort to trace cases, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri) carried out tracing to all villages, districts/cities, and Citizens Association in seven provinces in Java and Bali which implemented the implementation of the Micro-scale Community Activity Restriction (PPKM). Before being deployed to their respective work areas, Babinsa, Babinpotmar, and Babinpot Dirga will be given the training to be a COVID-19 tracker
Testing with a rapid antigen test is likely to increase the number of cases. However, Nadia appealed to the public not to panic because it is better to know the real data so that the right handling strategy can be implemented
The government has also prepared a number of steps, including increasing the capacity of hospitals, as well as increasing service hours, monitoring the readiness of medicines and medical devices in hospitals, and increasing the number of health workers and vaccinators.
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