Bad News, These 9 Provinces Experience An Increase In COVID-19 Death Rates

COVID-19 Handling Task Force Spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito (Photo: BNPB dock)

JAKARTA - A Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adidasmito, regretted that nine provinces experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases and resulted in deaths.

"The percentage increase in COVID-19 deaths in 9 provinces starting from Aceh, West Java, Central Java, Gorontalo, DI Yogyakarta, Bengkulu, Riau Islands, Jambi, and West Kalimantan", said Wiku in a virtual press conference, quoted Friday, July 9.

Then, currently, there are also 31 of 34 provinces with an increase in the percentage of active cases and 29 provinces experiencing a decrease in healing.

Wiku said the increasing number of deaths was due to delays in treatment or worsening that were not monitored during self-isolation.

"Therefore, it is important the government's role in increasing monitoring so that it can quickly handle if the patient's condition worsens", he said.

Wiku asked the local government to intensify inspections or testing as an effort to detect early transmission of the coronavirus.

He admitted that currently, the national testing rate has now exceeded the WHO standard. The number of examinations per 1000 population per week reached 252.78 percent with the number of PCR as much as 380.480 (52 percent) and as many as 363.399 antigens (48 percent).

However, keep in mind that this examination is still in the national figure, where there are still areas that have not met the scope of the inspection standard. Therefore, Wiku views that testing needs to be carried out evenly in all provinces in Indonesia.

"Make sure the testing coverage in their respective regions has exceeded the WHO standard by taking into account the positivity rate in their respective regions", said Wiku.

"In times like today, where cases are increasing sharply, testing is one of the things that must be pursued. Testing is massive, especially on symptomatic people and close contacts", he continued.