A Number Of Provinces In Java-Bali Pass The Peak Of Omicron Cases But West Kalimantan And NTT Are Still High

A mural containing a message of mutual cooperation against Covid-19 in the Tebet area, Jakarta, Tuesday (8/9/2020). (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto revealed that a number of provinces in Java-Bali have passed the peak of cases of COVID-19, the Omicron variant. However, the upward trend still occurs in West Kalimantan (West Kalimantan) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

"There is a downward trend, namely North Sulawesi, Papua, South Sumatra, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, East Kalimantan, West Sumatra, Riau Islands, Lampung, and Riau," said Coordinating Minister Airlangga during an online Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) Press Conference, Monday, March 7.

Overall, he said, there was a significant decrease in the reproduction rate of active cases in almost all islands outside Java-Bali although it was slightly above 1.

“Nationally, it fell from 1.16 to 1.09. Outside Java-Bali, Nusa Tenggara 1.14, Maluku 1.1, Kalimantan 1.10, Sumatra 1.09, Sulawesi 1.09 and Papua 1.08," he said, quoted by Antara.

The daily confirmed cases outside Java-Bali have shown a decline as of March 6 as many as 8.158 cases from the peak on February 23 which was 19.807 cases. For active cases, the peak was on March 3 with the number of 183.482, then as of March 6, there was a decline to 171.217.

Then for cases of death from 91 cases as of March with a CFR of 2.61 percent and most of the patients died who had comorbidities, were elderly, and had not been fully vaccinated.

Regarding the bed occupancy rate (BOR), three provinces are high but still under control, namely North Sumatra with 21.338 active cases, 37 percent BOR with 21% percent conversion. Then, West Kalimantan with 15.603 active cases, 44 percent BOR, and 25 percent conversion. Also, in South Sulawesi there were 15.131 active cases with a BOR of 31 percent and conversion of 18 percent.

In addition, in order to increase the number of recovered cases of COVID-19, the Omicron variant, the government provides integrated isolation facilities with a total of 36.470 beds, which are currently only occupied by 10 percent.

"There are some 9 provinces that drilled from 0 and some integrated isolations are still high, namely in East Kalimantan and Riau Islands, namely 49 percent and 33 percent," said Airlangga.

On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that the requirements for PCR tests and antigen swabs for domestic travelers were abolished.

Certainty regarding this new policy will be published in a circular letter from the relevant ministries and agencies in the near future.

"Domestic travelers using air, sea, or land transportation who have carried out the second or complete dose of vaccination no longer need to show evidence of negative antigen or PCR tests," said Luhut.