Jakarta's COVID-19 Trend Due To Subvariant Arcturus Decreased, But Death Rate Still Rises

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JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Health Office (Dinkes) revealed the development of the Jakarta COVID-19 case after a wave of subvariant COVID-19 cases of Arcturus.

Head of the Epidemiological Surveillance and Immunization Section of the DKI Jakarta Health Office, Ngabila Salama, revealed that currently the number of corona cases in the capital city has decreased in the past week.

Last week, weekly positive cases in Jakarta were 4,027 cases. This week, weekly positive cases were 3,133.

Along with the decline in COVID-19 cases, the percentage of positive cases from the number of specimens examined or the positivity rate also decreased. Last week, the positivity rate for COVID-19 in Jakarta was 21.31 percent and this week was 17.79 percent.

However, Ngabila revealed that the death rate of COVID-19 cases was still experiencing an increasing trend, along with the decrease in hospital bed occupancy rates.

"Deaths are still experiencing an increasing trend. There have been 23 deaths in the past week. The peak of death is usually delayed by 7 to 14 days from the peak of cases because the average death rate is 7-14 days from being hospitalized," Ngabila said in a short message, Monday, May 15.

In the past week, 23 deaths of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta. This figure increased from last week's 19. People.

"Those who died, 50 percent of them had not been vaccinated at all and 50 percent had not received the fourth dose of vaccine. All those who died had comorbidities," explained Ngabila.

For information, the main cause of the increase in cases in Jakarta some time ago was the transmission of the subvariant COVID-19 case Arcturus. The first case of the XBB.1.16 subvariant emerged by foreign travelers who had just returned from India on March 23, 2023.

Given that COVID-19 cases still exist, Ngabila asked the public to continue implementing health protocols even though PPKM ended and WHO had revoked global emergency status.

"Prevent pain with mask discipline if you meet people sick or in public places and maintain immunity both with a healthy lifestyle. Prevent severity and death with complete vaccination and early detection, as well as comorbid control," he added.