High COVID Cases, 3 Regions In NTB Such As West Lombok, Mataram City, And Bima Rise To PPKM Level 3

Head of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Health Office, Dr. Lalu Hamzi Fikri. (BETWEEN)

NTB - Head of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Health Service, Dr. Lalu Hamzi Fikri, said that there are three regions in NTB whose status has now risen to level 3 due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

"Level 3 will be implemented in West Lombok Regency, Mataram City and Bima City," he said during a Coordination Meeting on the Development of COVID-19 chaired by the Governor and Deputy Governor of NTB in Mataram City, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, February 15.

Meanwhile, for other regencies and cities in NTB, such as East Lombok Regency, Sumbawa Regency, West Sumbawa Regency, and North Lombok Regency, it is still level 1. Then, level 2 is Central Lombok Regency, Dompu Regency, and Bima Regency.

"This is in accordance with the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 11 of 2022 dated February 14, 2022 regarding the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) for the Control of COVID-19.

The former Director of the NTB Provincial Hospital admitted that the number of COVID-19 cases in the entire NTB region had continued to rise in the past week. However, said Hamzi Fikri, not until a patient was treated in the ICU. "There is an increase in daily cases. Most of this is due to comorbidities and those who have not been vaccinated who are positive for COVID-19," he explained.

Despite the increase in cases, the bed occupancy rate (BOR) in NTB is still sufficient.

"We still need to anticipate by increasing the number of beds because this is the most important thing considering the spread rate of Omicron is faster than the Delta variant," said Hamzi Fikri.

Therefore, as a form of anticipating a spike in cases, his party has proposed to all hospitals to add bed facilities to up to 4,000 units.

"Currently, there are 1,500 beds available. But because of the increase in cases, our bed capacity needs to be increased to 2,000, even up to 4,000 units. God willing, all of our hospitals are ready for that," he said.

To prevent this COVID-19 explosion, efforts to accelerate vaccination must continue to be increased. In addition, the public must also improve health protocols, avoid crowding, maintain distance and always use masks in all activities. Because, until now, it is not known when the COVID-19 pandemic will end.

"The process must not be ignored so that we don't lose to the pandemic that comes and goes and has not been completed," he said.