PPKM Extended, Ministry Of Health Focuses On Increasing Number Of COVID-19 Testing

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo announced the extension of Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) until August 9.

In the extension of the PPKM, Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, emphasized that his party would focus on increasing the number of examinations or testing for COVID-19 cases.

"The Ministry of Health will concentrate on increasing the number of testing to support health protocols and changes to the PPKM level", said Minister of Health Budi in a virtual press conference, Monday, August 2.

Budi explained the number of testing in the last month has increased. Before Emergency PPKM, the average number of testing per day reached 70 thousand. Currently, the average testing has reached more than 200 thousand per day.

However, the number of testing will continue to be increased gradually. This is because President Joko Widodo is targeting 400,000 specimens to be examined per day.

This increase in the number of testing, said Budi, was carried out so that the government could really detect the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Thus, the handling of cases is handled more quickly.

"The number of tests will be very decisive. We will try to do most of this testing based on the close contact tracing that is currently being activated, both in Java and Bali and outside Java-Bali", he said.

In addition, Minister of Health Budi said that the steps being taken to reduce cases outside Java, which are currently increasing, are to replicate or imitate the control of COVID-19 cases in Java over the past month.

Previously, President Joko Widodo said that the decision to extend this restriction was made even though improvements have been made for some time.

There were also several improvements, including in terms of daily case confirmation, active case rate, cure rate, and bed occupancy rate in hospitals.

"PPKM Level 4 which was implemented from July 26 to August 2 has brought improvements on a national scale compared to before", said Jokowi.