Deputy Governor Of DKI: Be Careful The Potential For The Third Wave Of COVID-19 Still Exists

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ahmad Riza Patria, reminded the public to be careful and continue to apply health protocols. Riza said the potential for a third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak still exists.

"Indeed, we have to be careful about the third wave, because we have gone down, gone up again, now it's down again, and now there is an easing that increases the potential for interaction between people," said Riza Patria, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, September 21.

According to him, the more relaxed the rules, the more people will be active outside the home, which in turn will increase the potential for crowds to cause COVID-19 transmission.

Because of this, the Deputy Governor of DKI asked residents to be more disciplined in implementing health protocols when the easing of the implementation of the third level of community activity restrictions (PPKM).

"Let's stay at home as the best place, use health protocols wisely, obey and be disciplined," Riza appealed.

Previously, an epidemiologist from Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, said the prediction of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia could occur in December 2021.

"I used to predict October, but it changed again, went back again, so December. Even December the waves decreased too, low, not as big as previous predictions," he said.

He said this happened because of the interventions implemented, including the PPKM which continued to be extended which would minimize the potential for the third wave of COVID-19.

"The more consistent we are, the more disciplined we will be in providing interventions, including the achievement of vaccinations, this will make the potential (third wave) further or smaller but still exist," he said.

Based on information from the DKI Provincial Government as of Tuesday, September 21, the number of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta as of September 20, 2021 reached 856,358 cases. Of these, 840,525 were declared cured, 2,347 were still being treated and 13,486 died.