Alert, COVID-19 Cases Outside Java-Bali Soared 300-Fold In Four Weeks

JAKARTA - The government's prediction about the occurrence of "ping-pong" COVID-19 from the islands of Java-Bali to outside Java-Bali has begun to be proven. In a sense, after the COVID-19 cases in Java-Bali experienced an increase and then slid back down, the increase in cases shifted outside Java-Bali.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, revealed that currently there is a high increase in cases outside Java-Bali, after the previous spike in cases was in Java-Bali.

"Currently, we need to be thorough. If some time ago the national case was dominated by the provinces in Java-Bali, now the proportion of provinces outside Java-Bali is starting to increase," said Wiku in a BNPB Indonesia Youtube broadcast, quoted on Wednesday. , February 23.

Wiku said that the increase in outside Java-Bali was faster and more significant, so that its contribution to national cases also increased.

At the end of last January, weekly cases outside Java-Bali were only around 600 cases. This week, the figure rose sharply to 95,000 cases in just one week.

In addition, at the end of January, the increase in national cases was almost entirely contributed by the island of Java-Bali, namely 95.34 percent. Over time, the percentage is now decreasing and being replaced by the contribution of cases from provinces outside Java-Bali.

"In the beginning, outside Java-Bali only contributed 3 to 4 percent of the total national cases, now the number continues to rise to 24 percent of the total national cases," explained Wiku.

Based on the dissection of cases per province, North Sumatra became the province outside Java-Bali with the highest weekly increase in cases when compared to cases at the end of January.

Wiku explained, North Sumatra experienced an additional 12,000 cases in one week. Followed by South Sulawesi and East Kalimantan, with an increase of 10,000 cases each. South Sumatra 6600 cases, North Sulawesi 5,800 cases, Lampung 5,500 cases, Papua 4,400, Riau and South Kalimantan 4,200 cases, and West Sumatra 3,400 cases.

"This means that within 4 weeks, cases in these provinces have increased by 100 to 300 times," he said.

Therefore, Wiku stated that every government, especially those experiencing an increase in current cases, needed to adjust their control strategy.

"As I've said before, every time there is an increase in cases in Java-Bali, in the next 2 to 3 weeks there will be an increase outside Java-Bali in the same area," said Wiku.

"One of the important things to do is to continue to increase the prevention of transmission to a small level by implementing PPKM through village or urban village posts," he added.