DKI Jakarta COVID-19 Situation During Eid Holiday: Many Cases Go Undetected

ILLUSTRATION OF DOK VOI

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Health Service (Dinkes) revealed the development of the Jakarta COVID-19 case during the Idul Fitri holiday period. Head of the Epidemiology and Immunization Surveillance Section of the DKI Jakarta Health Office, Ngabila Salama, revealed that currently, many transmissions of the Coronavirus go undetected.

This, said Ngabila, was due to the increase in the percentage of positive cases from the number of specimens examined or the positivity rate. Based on data, the positivity rate this week was 23.88 percent, an increase from last week's 17.61 percent.

"The COVID-19 situation in Jakarta is still under control with the number of positive cases and deaths likely to remain, the positivity rate has increased sharply, a sign that many cases are not diagnosed in the field," Ngabila told reporters, Wednesday, April 26.

Ngabila revealed that the number of unrecorded cases of Corona was also shown by the decrease in the number of PCR and antigen tests during the Eid holiday season.

Along with the large number of undetected COVID-19 transmissions, hospital bed occupancy ratio (BOR) for COVID-19 patients has tended to decrease over the past week.

"The hospital's BOR fell last week to 11 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, there have been 12 deaths from COVID-19 cases over the past week. Of the 12 deaths, all were aged 30 years and over. Six of them have not even undergone a COVID-19 vaccination at all.

In this regard, Jakarta has detected transmission of the Arcturus variant of the COVID-19 case with the first case appearing by an overseas traveler who had just returned from India on March 23, 2023.

"Usually, it takes 4 to 8 weeks for cases to become dominant and peak, therefore it is necessary to monitor cases in the next 2-4 weeks," he explained.

Furthermore, Ngabila said that efforts to spread the massive virus, especially after the holidays and in anticipation of the peak wave of cases of the Arcturus variant of COVID-19, can be carried out by the community by carrying out early detection.

"Nowadays, people no longer need to do antigen/PCR/self-quarantine swabs at home. The important thing is, if you have symptoms or have close contact with a positive case, immediately go for free PCR to the nearest sub-district health center in Jakarta," he added.