Government Fears About Decreasing Testing Rates, Worried Many People Are Positive For COVID-19 But Undetected

Illustration/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The number of COVID-19 testing checks at the national level is currently decreasing, along with the easing of activity restrictions and the abolition of PCR or antigen requirements for domestic travelers.

Referring to the data from the COVID-19 Task Force, the number of people tested per week decreased by 52 percent from the number of testings at the peak of Omicron cases in mid-February. Although, the figure is still above the WHO standard, which is 1 per 1,000 population per week.

The government seems concerned about this condition. This was revealed by the spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, in his press conference, Thursday, March 17.

"The testing requirements that are no longer mandatory in several sectors have resulted in a decrease in the number of people being tested. Unfortunately, the number of testing has shown a decline since the third week of February and continues to decline during this policy adjustment period," said Wiku.

If the number of testing continues to decline, Wiku is worried that more people will be infected with COVID-19 but are not included in the government's records.

This, said Wiku, had an impact on the invalidity of data on COVID-19 cases, an indicator that determines government policies, so that the virus transmission is increasingly spreading due to undetected cases not being isolated.

"Don't let this decrease in the number of testing have an impact on decreasing pseudo-case data, which has the potential to increase the number of positive people who are not identified," said Wiku.

Based on a survey by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in February 2022, the main reason people take COVID-19 tests is because office programs are 51 percent, travel requirements are 38.1 percent, and tracing programs are 23.3 percent, only 18.7 percent. respondents who took the test because they felt unwell.

Wiku also asked the public to realize that without testing, people who are positive for COVID-19 cannot be identified. Thus, without a high awareness of being tested, it is not impossible for positive people to mix and infect more people, including vulnerable groups.

"The number of testing must be maintained and even continue to be increased. Considering the number of asymptomatic cases that are not small. Do not let our disobedience to health protocols make us a source of transmission for other people, especially vulnerable groups," added Wiku.