DKI Provincial Government Adds COVID-19 Beds Up To 22,000, More Than Delta's Surge

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria revealed that his party would increase the number of treatment beds and isolation of COVID-19 patients to 22 thousand beds.

The number of additional beds in 140 COVID-19 referral hospitals is more than the addition of beds when there was a spike in cases due to the spread of the Delta variant in mid-2021.

"Yesterday, we had 11 thousand (beds) ready. We will even prepare up to 22 thousand, God willing. If it is needed, we are ready," said Riza at City Hall, Monday, February 7.

Riza said that currently the bed occupancy ratio (BOR) for COVID-19 in Jakarta has been filled by 63 percent.

Of the 5,518 isolation beds currently available, 3,631 beds have been used. Meanwhile, currently 254 of the 740 ICU beds have been used.

Separately, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said that currently the daily cases of COVID-19 amid the spread of the Omicron variant were already higher than the peak of daily cases during the spread of the Delta variant.

On February 6, the daily new cases in Jakarta were 15,825 cases. This figure is higher than the peak of new cases in July 2021, which was 14,619 cases.

"So, yesterday the daily number of COVID-19 cases had exceeded the peak of daily cases in July. This means that transmission is very fast," said Anies. However, Anies asked his citizens not to panic. This is because, although the occupancy of beds at the COVID-19 referral hospital in Jakarta has reached 60 percent, the majority of patients have mild and asymptomatic symptoms.

Based on data from the DKI Provincial Government, only 12 percent of COVID-19 patients have severe and moderate symptoms. Meanwhile, 48 percent are mild symptoms and asymptomatic that do not need to be hospitalized.

"Indeed, the transmission is high but the severity is not high. Well, there is no need to panic. That means, if you are exposed to positive, then look at the symptoms," said Anies.