Task Force Regrets The Low Testing Rate For COVID-19 For Eid Season

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Spokesman for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, regrets the low number of specimen examinations (testing) during the Lebaran season or during the past week.

"Unfortunately, the number of people who are examined weekly continues to decline. In mid-March, there were still more than one million people being examined per week. However, this number continued to decline until last week to only around 300,000 people," Wiku said at a conference. virtual press, Tuesday, May 10.

Wiku said that the decline in the number of testing has made the percentage of positive cases or the weekly positivity rate which is currently also decreasing, more inaccurate.

In mid-March, the positivity rate for the PCR test was still more than 30 percent, last week the number dropped drastically to only 1.73 percent of the total people being tested.

"We need to improve this, because the more people who are tested, the more we will be able to see an accurate picture of COVID-19 transmission in the community," he said.

Wiku said that there was an increase in the number of people's mobility, not only in the homecoming destination, but in almost all provinces in Indonesia in the past week.

Based on data adapted from Google Mobility as of May 6, 2022, the increase in mobility generally occurs in retail and recreation locations, grocery stores, parks and public transportation centers.

Therefore, Wiku reminded the public to have awareness of COVID-19 checks in the midst of increasing mobility in large numbers. Because, it is the same as increasing the number of people at risk.

"For this reason, people who have a history of traveling long distances to visit crowded locations, especially feeling symptomatic, are requested to be tested immediately. Don't let it turn out that we are infected and become a source of transmission for people around us, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and sufferers. comorbidities," he added.