Update On COVID-19 As Of April 8: The Belief Of The PSBB As A Way Out

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Achmad Yurianto (YouTube)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for handling COVID-19, Achmad Yurianto, claims that the government has tested 15 thousand people to date. As a result, from this number the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is increasing.

On April 8, or today, the number of positive cases of COVID-19 has increased by 218 cases and if accumulated, there will be 2,956 positive cases in Indonesia.

"From the PCR examination we got, first, there were 218 new cases, bringing the total to 2,956 cases. Furthermore, there are 18 cases that have recovered and if the number of recovered cases is accumulated, it will be 222 cases, ”said Yurianto in a press conference broadcast on BNPB's YouTube account, Wednesday, April 8.

Meanwhile, for cases of death, the figure also continues to increase by 19 cases. So that in total, 240 people have died from the virus that originated from the city of Wuhan, China.

Returning to the PCR test questions, Yurianto said, there were 200 thousand reagents available to support the implementation of the test. Reagents are needed considering this chemical substance that detects the presence or absence of the virus from the swab results.

Apart from the reagent matter, he also explained the reason why the PCR testing was not carried out on a large scale. According to him, the testing process with the PCR method was only carried out after screening or as a follow-up test of the Rapid-Test method.

"This is the activity of using our PCR. Thus, the percentage of positive PCR from examinations performed is relatively high. Because we did not do the PCR test using a random method but it was selected and structured from the start, "he said.

So, to support the PCR method, Yurianto said that currently there are 450 thousand Rapid-Test kits that have been distributed to various regions in Indonesia. With the aim that screening, screening and tracing cases of health workers and communities in areas prone to the spread of COVID-19 can be achieved.

PSBB as the exit

In the press conference, Yurianto also mentioned the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) that have been implemented in a number of areas. He believes that PSBB will be the exit point for the COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in Indonesia because this policy is considered to be a step to enforce physical distancing more firmly. Given, without PSBB, there are still many people who are not aware of the importance of physical distancing in stopping the spread of the virus.

"We still get the ineffectiveness of this physical distancing due to the discipline that we have not built together in the community. Therefore, the government then provides an opportunity for regional governments to propose the PSBB in terms of increasing the effectiveness of physical distancing, "Yurianto explained.

According to him, this restriction should not be interpreted as a prohibition. Because, what the public must be aware of, he said, COVID-19 is not a virus that suddenly infects humans but a virus whose movements occur based on the movements of other humans.

In addition, in today's society there are also many people who are infected with the virus but do not have clinical symptoms. "Therefore, the spread of this disease will be in line with human social activities. So we need to limit it, "he said.