The Covid-19 Death Rate In East Java Is High, Jokowi To The Regional Government: Now You Can't Work Just Sitting In The Office

President Jokowi (via Presidential Secretariat Youtube)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo highlighted the high death rate of COVID-19 cases in East Java. Currently, the death rate is 7.1 percent. Meanwhile, the national COVID-19 death rate is 3.1 percent.

According to Jokowi, currently every Forkopimda ranks, especially in East Java, are no longer working to deal with COVID-19 just by monitoring from their respective offices.

This was conveyed by Jokowi in a briefing to the East Java Forkopimda in Madiun on August 19, 2021.

"Now we can't do macro work anymore, we can't. We can't work just sitting in the office, it's not possible. A position like this that is needed is field leadership," Jokowi said in a Youtube video broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat, Friday, August 20.

Jokowi assessed that the high death rate for COVID-19 in East Java was due to patients who were self-isolating late being brought to a centralized isolation location.

Then, while self-isolating and experiencing worsening symptoms, the COVID-19 patient's oxygen saturation had already decreased, so his condition got worse when he was taken to the hospital.

"I think why these two (factors) are high. So, centralized isolation is the key to both spreading and reducing the death rate," said Jokowi.

Therefore, Jokowi asked the Pangdam and Kapolda of East Java to immediately assign the Dandim, Danrem, and Kapolres in their respective regions to transfer COVID-19 patients in self-isolation to centralized isolation.

In addition, Jokowi also asked every district/city government in East Java to monitor the bed occupancy ratio (BOR) for COVID-19 treatment.

"Every regent and mayor really sees what the BOR is every day. This is the BOR for every regency and city. I always see numbers like this in the morning, to see our vigilance," said Jokowi.

"Don't let us not know the position, then the virus enters, then we will raid (hurry to respond). This must not happen," he concluded.