Please Be Alert, Delta Variant Has Spread In Riau Islands

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JAKARTA - The Riau Islands Province Health Service stated that the Delta variant of COVID-19 had spread in the region. So the rate of transmission of COVID-19 is getting faster.

The Head of the Riau Islands Health Office, Muhamad Bisri, said that the Delta variant also caused the number of patients who died to increase, especially since June-July 2021.

"The Delta variant that entered the Riau Islands was initially brought by Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia in early 2021. Then when there were more and more people suffering from this virus in Java and Jakarta, there is a possibility that this Delta variant was brought from the region via Batam and Tanjungpinang," he said in Tanjungpinang, reported by Antara, Monday, July 26.

Bisri said the Delta variant entered Riau Islands based on the results of expert analysis of hundreds of samples sourced from COVID-19 patients in Riau Islands. In addition to the Delta variant, the team of experts also discovered the Alfa variant.

"If Delta or Alfa have entered Batam, they have the potential to enter other areas in the Riau Islands because the mobility of the population is open and fast. It seems difficult, once they enter Batam, they do not spread to other areas," he said

He said that prevention from contracting COVID-19 or new variants born from the mutation of the virus was only by vaccination and implementing strict health protocols. Residents should refrain from going out of the house for things that are less important.

"The more frequent activities, the greater the potential for transmission, especially for those who do not obey health protocols," he said.

The Riau Islands Province COVID-19 Task Force noted that on July 25, 2021 the number of patients who died reached 31 people in a day, the highest record during the pandemic. The Daily Head of the Riau Islands COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Lamidi, said that patients who died from COVID-19 were 15 people from Batam, nine people from Tanjungpinang, three people from Bintan, one person from the Anambas Islands, one person from Karimun, one person from Lingga, and two people from Natuna.

The total number of patients who died from COVID-19 in Riau Islands reached 1,020 people, spread across Batam 523 people, Tanjungpinang 246 people, Bintan 113 people, Karimun 58 people, Anambas Islands 28 people, Lingga 26 people, and Natuna 26 people.

"The number of patients who died from COVID-19 was the highest today in Tanjungpinang and Batam," he said.

Lamidi, who is also the Daily Executor of the Riau Islands Regional Secretary, said the number of COVID-19 patients in the region increased by 599 people, spread across Batam to 350 people, Tanjungpinang 48 people, Bintan 85 people, Karimun 37 people, Anambas 21 people, Lingga 20, and Natuna 38 people.

The total number of COVID-19 patients in Riau Islands during the pandemic reached 41,408 people, spread in Batam 21,770 people, Tanjungpinang 7,831 people, Bintan 4,567 people, Karimun 3,190 people, Anambas 1,297 people, Lingga 1,003 people and Natuna 1,750 people.

The number of patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Riau Islands increased by 332 people to 33,342 people. The addition of patients who recovered from COVID-19 occurred in Batam 132 people, Tanjungpinang 62 people, Bintan 47 people, Karimun 46 people, Anambas 11 people, Lingga 23 people and Natuna 11 people.

A total of 18,027 patients have recovered in Batam, 5,634 in Tanjungpinang, 3,830 in Bintan, 2,809 in Karimun, 1,064 in Anambas, 789 in Lingga and 1,189 in Natuna.

The number of active cases in Riau Islands reached 7,046 people, spread in Batam 3,220 people, Tanjungpinang 1,951 people, Bintan 624 people, Karimun 323 people, Anambas 205 people, Lingga 188 people, and Natuna 535 people.