Optimizing Vigilance to Reduce Case Spikes

The number of confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 surged after the Idul Fitri holidays. This is in line with the increase of people’s mobility and the emergence of new variants. We need to improve vigilance.

KOMPAS/SONYA HELLEN SINOMBOR

The Ministry of Women\'s Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA), Monday (24/5/2021) held Covid-19 Vaccination for women and child victims of violence in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi (Jabodetabek). Vaccination is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Library, and Pertamina.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia went up after Idul Fitri. This situation has led to increasing bed occupancy at referral hospitals. To that end, the capacity of health facilities must be expanded, accompanied by more tracing, tests and quarantine for people arriving from other regions.

In addition, people\'s adherence to health protocols must be maintained.

"Don\'t be complacent; every day must be a reminder. In fact, every hour, every minute, community groups must remind each other," National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Doni Monardo said after a limited meeting at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Monday (24/5/2021).

Don\'t be complacent; every day must be a reminder.

According to the COVID-19 task force, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has reached 5.24 percent as of Monday, an increase from 5.01 percent on May 19. Meanwhile, the recovery rate fell from 92.22 percent on May 18 to 91.97 percent on Monday.

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In a number of regions, COVID-19 cases continue to increase, including in Malang and Surabaya, East Java, and Palembang, South Sumatra. In Surabaya, 12 residents of low-cost apartment complex Penjaringan Sari are infected with COVID-19. They are being treated while undergoing isolation at the Sukolilo Haj Dormitory.

Doni said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had emphasized the importance of imposing restrictions on community activities (PPKM). These social restriction strategies must be optimized. Command posts (Posko) are expected to outline the government\'s program related to self-help quarantine for those who have just returned from traveling.

"If there are five houses [whose family members] positive for COVID-19, the initiative to impose microlockdowns on the RT [neighborhood unit] scale will be applied," Doni said.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Chairman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Doni Monardo

Cooperation in regional areas needs to be fostered, including mutual cooperation to help people exposed to COVID-19 so they don\'t turn critical.

Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that there had been several causes for the surge in COVID-19 cases after Idul Fitri. One of them is the increasing mobility of people over the next few weeks. The last four days, the increase in new cases was over 5,000 people.

"From our calculations, the increase in cases will reach mid-June," he said.

In addition, the Health Ministry has identified a new mutation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from India, Africa and the United Kingdom with a total of 54 cases. The details are 35 variant cases from outside Indonesia and 19 local cases.

"So, there is an internal spread of this variant. The combination of [people’s] mobility and viral mutations causes this case to increase,” said Dante.

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Hospital occupancy

National COVID-19 task force health management division chairman Alexander K Ginting said the trend of increasing bed occupancy rate (BOR) has taken place at COVID-19 referral hospitals, in particular at hospitals on Java Island. The increase occurred in Jakarta by 2.3 percent, West Java by 3 percent, Central Java by 6.9 percent and Yogyakarta by 6.3 percent.

"Local administrations are again urged to increase the capacity of wards for COVID-19 treatment according to the risk level of each region. All hospitals that serve COVID-19 patients are also expected to increase the capacity of their wards by modifying the function of beds," he said.

Based on data from the COVID-19 handling unit, the majority of provinces in Sumatra have a higher occupancy rate of hospital beds than other provinces. Provinces with occupancy levels above 50 percent are North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Riau, West Kalimantan and West Sumatra. Of the 3,034 hospitals in Indonesia, 982 are designated for COVID-19 treatment.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Covid-19 vaccination activities for retail employees at the Grogol Petamburan Sports Building, West Jakarta, Monday (24/5/2021). The Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo) facilitates vaccination for 150 thousand retail employees under the auspices of Aprindo, MSME workers, and people in areas vulnerable to Covid-19 in Jakarta.

Alexander added that the reported death rate from COVID-19 tended to increase. As of Feb. 5, the percentage of reported deaths is 2.75 percent. This will increase to 2.78 percent on May 20. The percentage of death cases in Indonesia is also above the global figure, which is 2.07 percent. Based on the analysis of the COVID-19 task force, people aged 60 years and older have the highest risk of dying of COVID-19 with a mortality rate of 49.35 percent, and those at the age of 46-59 years have a mortality rate of 35.6 percent.

In addition, comorbidities also increase the risk of death. Patients with kidney disease were 13.7 times more likely to die than those without a comorbidity; likewise with heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and autoimmune diseases.

50 years old

Therefore, the government prioritized elderly people as the target for COVID-19 vaccination. As of May 23, the government through the Health Ministry has expanded the vaccination priority target to those in the age group of 50 years and above. The Human Resources Development and Empowerment Agency building in Hang Jebat, Jakarta, serves as a location for the vaccination of this age group.

Meanwhile, the head of the BNPB who is also the chairperson of the COVID-19 task force, Lt. Gen. Doni Monardo, reportedly will be replaced by the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ganip Warsito. Ganip\'s inauguration is scheduled for this Tuesday, in a ceremony at the State Palace to be led by Jokowi. Doni will retire from TNI service on 1 June.

"The truth is [the replacement is] because pak Doni will retire on 1 June, so he must be replaced by an active TNI officer," said TNI commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto on Monday night.

(CAS/TAN/(ESA/CIP/DIA/RAM/ JUM/NCA/DKA/RTG/ERK/ JOL/XTI/DIT/BRO/ETA/HAR)

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.