Update On COVID-19 As Of June 13: The Average Of Corona Tests In Indonesia Is Still Low

Government spokesman for the handling of COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto (Yuri) (Photo: BNPB document)

JAKARTA - Government spokesman for the handling of COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto (Yuri) explained the progress of the case as of Saturday, June 13 at 12.00 WIB, which saw the addition of 1,014 positive confirmed cases today. The total number of positive cases became 37,420 people.

Then, 43 people died, so that it became 2,091 patients. There were an additional 563 patients recovered, bringing the total to 13,776 patients. The cure rate was mostly experienced by the 29 to 45 year age group.

Yuri admitted that the effort to check COVID-19 per one million people in Indonesia, using both Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and molecular rapid test (TCM), is still low.

"Indeed, as a whole, if we count the entire territory of our country our tests are still low, 1,752 tests per one million population," said Yuri at Graha BNPB, East Jakarta, Saturday, June 13.

Meanwhile, the tests conducted in other countries are bigger. In Malaysia, tests were carried out on 19,118 people per 1 million population, in Thailand 6,708 per 1 million inhabitants, the Philippines 4,419 per one million inhabitants, and Japan 2,626 per 1 million inhabitants.

However, said Yuri, this figure does not show the impression that the government's seriousness is invisible. This is because Indonesia is a country with a large area and has many islands.

"Of course, this data will not be completely comparable to other countries because the level of epidemiological threat is not the same," said Yuri.

Therefore, the government does not equalize the intensity of the COVID-19 test in each province. Areas with high transmission rates have become a priority and have carried out massive testing.

For example, DKI Jakarta, with its high population density, has tested 17,954 people per one million population. In addition, tests in a number of areas that are currently experiencing a surge in cases have also been stepped up.

"We are currently studying several things related to other epicenter such as the city of Surabaya, Makassar, South Kalimantan, so we will recount how many tests we have done per one million population," said Yuri.

Furthermore, there are 5 provinces with the highest number of cases today. First, East Java with 176 new cases with a total of 7,597 cases. Then, South Sulawesi increased by 125 people with a total of 2,707 people. COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta has increased by 121 cases with a total of 8,861 people, South Kalimantan with 123 new cases 1,817, and North Sumatra 94 new cases with a total of 862.

"Of the total there are 18 provinces that report cases below 10. There are even 5 provinces that today reported no cases at all," Yuri explained.

Furthermore, the number of specimens examined per day has reached 16,574 times, the total number of specimens that have been examined is accumulatively as many as 495,527. In detail, 485,030 specimens were examined using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 10,497 specimens were examined using a molecular rapid test (TCM).

Then, the patient data under surveillance (PDP) which is currently still being monitored reached 13,578 people. Meanwhile, people under monitoring (ODP) who are currently still being monitored reach 42,450.