Add More Number Of Beds For COVID-19 Patients Because Cases Soared After Eid Holidays

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JAKARTA - The spike in COVID-19 cases after the Eid holiday has finally appeared. Over the past week, the number of new cases, which previously averaged around 5,000 cases per day, has now almost doubled. Finally, new cases increased by 8,189 cases.

Yesterday, the government announced a way to suppress the collapse of isolation rooms and ICUs for COVID-19 patients by adding more COVID-19 special care beds in all regions.

Along with the announcement of the extension of the implementation of restrictions on micro community activities (PPKM), Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartato said the government would increase the capacity of COVID-19 special beds to 40 percent in all hospitals in red zone districts/cities.

The criteria for red zone areas or areas with a high risk of COVID-19 are those with isolation beds and COVID-19 ICU occupancy above 60 percent.

"This hospital facility will be increased to 40 percent, especially in regencies/cities with a red zoning or BOR (bed occupation rate) above 60 percent," Airlangga said in the Presidential Secretariat's Youtube show, Monday, June 14.

Airlangga said that the additional capacity for COVID-19 special beds was carried out to deal with the trend of increasing COVID-19 cases after the Lebaran holiday in 2021.

There are a number of areas that have shown an increase in COVID-19 cases, such as in DKI Jakarta, West Java, and Central Java. Airlangga said COVID-19 patients could be referred to the nearest area.

"For cities that are red (zones) a referral hospital is provided in the nearest city, for example if Kudus, among others, to Semarang, if Bangkalan to the provincial capital, to Surabaya," said Airlangga.

In addition, the government has also increased the capacity of the Wisma Atlet Kemayoran COVID-19 Emergency Hospital (RSDC), which is currently running low.

As of June 14, there were 5,028 hospitalized patients. Previously, the capacity of the isolation beds in towers 4, 5, 6, and 7 was 5,994 or 83.8 percent filled. Currently, the capacity at Wisma Atlet Kemayoran has been increased to 9,566 beds.

“Previously, there were an additional 700 beds and this afternoon it was added again so that the capacity was increased. The number of patient beds is 7,937, plus 2,000 units. The number of (patients) isolated is 5,028, so there are still 2,909 beds left, so the BOR can be 63.34 percent," he explained.

DKI Jakarta is the province with the highest number of cases. As many as 27 percent of the capital city's COVID-19 patients are also residents outside Jakarta. Therefore, the government also added 1,572 isolation beds at Wisma Atlet Pademangan and 2,550 isolation beds at the Nagrak Flats, Cilincing, North Jakarta.