1.9 Million ISPA Cases In Jakarta, Pramono Anung: Not A Pandemic, Like Flu Only

DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (DOK Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung confirmed that the spike in cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in the capital which reached 1.9 million cases throughout 2025 was not a sign of a new pandemic.

"In Jakarta, I make sure it doesn't become a pandemic. There is indeed one, two, and now COVID-19 is like the flu. Some end up at the puskesmas, some are in the hospital, but they can be cured soon," Pramono said when met at Dukuh Atas MRT Station, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, October 22.

The former Cabinet Secretary emphasized that the current situation is different from the COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago. According to him, the increase in ARI cases is more influenced by fluctuating weather and air pollution factors.

"So it's not like the previous COVID-19, now it's like the common cold and indeed some have happened," he said.

Pramono also ordered his staff to examine the phenomenon of rainwater in Jakarta which is said to contain microplastics and is likely related to the increasing number of cases of ARI.

"But what is clear is that when viewed as a whole, weather conditions and pollution in Jakarta have decreased significantly. Hopefully we can protect this together," he said.

Previously, the DKI Jakarta Health Office reported that more than 1.9 million cases of ARI were recorded until October 2025. This figure began to increase since July and has not shown a downward trend.

Head of the DKI Jakarta Health Office, Ani Ruspitawati, said that ARI is the disease with the highest number of visits at the current puskesmas. The transmission occurs very quickly through saliva splashes (droplets) and small particles in the air (aerosol), especially in crowded locations and when air quality decreases.

"The total number of ARI cases is a disease with the highest number of visits at the puskesmas because transmission can occur very easily," said Ani.

The increase in ARI cases in Jakarta is also in line with the extreme and hot weather conditions that hit a number of areas in Indonesia in recent weeks.