Update On COVID-19 As Of July 18: Finally, Cases In Indonesia Overtake China

Photo by Nick Agus Arya on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Government spokesman for the handling of COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto (Yuri) said there were an additional 1,752 confirmed positive cases as of Saturday, July 18 at 12.00 WIB. The total number of positive cases became 84,882 people.

As of today, the accumulation of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has overtaken the number of COVID-19 cases in China. Judging from the worldometers website, the total cases of countries that have the first corona virus patients are at 83,644 with an increase of 22 cases today. Total patients recovered 78,758, and death 4,634.

The handling of corona in Indonesia and China itself has a number of differences. If Indonesia implements Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB), China implements a lockdown or closure of areas.

The lockdown was first implemented in Wuhan, Hubei Province for 76 days from 23 January. This step is considered effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. China also immediately built 16 temporary hospitals there. The hospital can accommodate 13 thousand beds.

Returning to Yuri's explanation, the number of patients dying per day has increased by 59 people, bringing the total to 4,016. There were 1,434 people so that the total number of cases recovered was 43,268 people.

Yuri said that currently the government has eliminated the use of the terms patient under surveillance (PDP) and person under surveillance (ODP). Now, the term used is suspicion group.

Furthermore, Yuri revealed, as of today there are as many as 37,593 people in his group suspected of being monitored. These patients are spread across 464 affected districts / cities in 34 provinces.

The province with the highest number of new cases today is DKI Jakarta with 346 new cases and a total of 16,236 cases. Then, another province with high new cases is in Central Java with 266 cases and a total of 6,632.

Then, East Java 204 cases with a total of 18,033. Currently, East Java is the province with the highest case accumulation in Indonesia.

Furthermore, a high number of new cases was also in South Sulawesi with 186 new cases and 7,881 total cases, North Sumatra with 147 new cases and a total of 2,923 cases, and South Kalimantan with 107 new cases and a total of 4,829 cases.

"17 Provinces today reported additional cases under 10, and there were 5 provinces where there were no additional cases, including Aceh, West Kalimantan, but no cases at all but reported 6 recoveries," he said, at Graha BNPB, East Jakarta, Saturday, July 18th.

Then, said Yuri, Central Kalimantan where there were no additional cases and reported 30 recoveries. North Kalimantan has not added new cases and one person has recovered.

Furthermore, the total number of specimens that had been examined was cumulatively as many as 1,201,014. In detail, 1,171,388 specimens were examined using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 29,626 specimens were examined using a molecular rapid test (TCM).

"From this examination we get 1,752 positive confirmed cases. So that the total becomes 84,882 people," Yuri explained.

This examination was carried out in 176 active RT-PCR laboratories, 117 TCM laboratories, and 308 network laboratories. The rate of positive cases was 12.2 percent of all examinations carried out.