Without Tactical Steps, Regions on the Brink of Crisis
The spike in Covid-19 cases in a number of regions following Idul Fitri is an urgent matter that needs to be handled tactically and decisively. Enforcement of large-scale social restrictions could be one option.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·6 minutes read
KOMPAS/ADITYA PUTRA PERDANA
Motorcycle riders pass in front of a billboard with information on road blocking to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Ngemplak Village, Undaan District, Kudus Regency, Central Java, Monday (7/6/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The surge in Covid-19 cases in a number of regions has caused in-patient medical treatment and isolation rooms to fill up. Tactical steps are needed to prevent conditions from getting worse in those regions.
Tactical steps are increasingly needed because community mobility has the potential to increase again during the school holidays starting from the middle of this month until mid-July and Idul Adha on 20 July. This increased mobility has the potential to enlarge the number of Covid-19 cases.
Two regions with a growing number of cases are currently being observed in Kudus, Central Java, and in Bangkalan, East Java. Based on data from the Kudus Regency Administration, before Lebaran, the highest active cases reached 499 cases on 18 January 2021. Then, cases declined to touch the lowest point, namely 60 cases on 11 April 2021. However, after Lebaran, on 20 May, cases active increases to 307.
The spike continued until there were 1,764 active cases on Monday (7/6/2021), the highest in Central Java province. The daily addition of cases increased from 121 cases per day on 24 May to 360 cases per day on 7 June. The centralized isolation room for Covid-19 patients in Kudus, with a capacity of 400 beds, is full. Medical treatment was diverted to the city of Semarang and other regions around it.
The regent of Kudus, HM Hartopo, said that the impact from residents\' activities over the Idul Fitri break was one of the factors that triggered the increase in cases in Kudus. "The Lebaran tradition is like the anjangsana [visiting each other and gathering] with some feasts. People take off their masks, eat together, and chat. In fact, therein lies the potential for transmission," he said, Tuesday (8/6).
In Bangkalan, Madura Island, Covid-19 cases in the last three days increased by 145 cases, with 10 of them dead. The number of patients until yesterday reached 190 people, the highest among 38 regencies/cities in East Java province.
The East Java Covid-19 Handling Task Force suspects that the spike in cases in Bangkalan is due to a new mutation of the coronavirus. The variant known as variant Alpha (B.1.1.7) is more contagious and can have a fatal impact.
A member of the Experts Council of the East Java Covid-19 Task Force from Airlangga University, Surabaya, Agung Dwi Wahyu Widodo, explained that the new mutation variant was known from the examination of a patient undergoing isolation.
The spike in cases that is more than doubled also occurred in North Sumatra. As of Monday (7/6), positive cases of Covid-19 in North Sumatra reached 32,676, an increase of 99 cases from the previous day. The additional daily cases were more than doubled compared to before May 2021, which were around 40 cases per day.
Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta
Medical personnel conduct a rapid antigen test for residents who will go to Surabaya via Kamal Port in Bangkalan, East Java, Tuesday (8/6/2021). In the last three days there has been a spike in Covid-19 cases in Bangkalan as many as 145 positive cases, ten of whom died.
The death rate due to Covid-19 in North Sumatra has also increased. The increase began on Friday (4/6) with five deaths, all from Medan. Previously, deaths in North Sumatra were 1-2 people per day.
The death toll rose again on Saturday to seven people, all from Medan. The next day, three people died. On Monday, the deaths had risen to six again.
In West Java, bed occupancy ratio for COVID-19 patients that are in severe and critical condition at Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, reached 90 percent of the 40-bed capacity. Meanwhile, the bed occupancy for Covid-19 treatment reached 50 percent of the 224 beds.
The increase in Covid-19 cases also occurred in South Tangerang City, Banten. There were 303 active cases recorded from 31 May to 7 June. That number is up from 97 active cases in the 24-31 May period.
The increase in cases has an impact on the occupancy of isolation beds and the medical treatment of Covid-19 patients in South Tangerang. The South Tangerang Health Office reported that hospital bed occupancy rose 11.5 percent to 39 percent.
South Tangerang’s Rumah Lawan Covid-19 also noted an increase in the number of patients after the Idul Fitri holiday. Most of the patients were domestic helpers who had returned from their hometowns. It is recorded that there are 90 patients who are still undergoing self-isolation until Monday (7/6). That number is up from 30 patients from before Lebaran.
Regional heads
The case of Covid-19 that infects regional heads has again occurred in West Java and Central Java. West Java Deputy Governor Uu Ruzhanul Ulum and Tegal Regent Umi Azizah, who were confirmed to have COVID-19, added to the long row of affected regional heads. Until now, at least 60 regional heads have been exposed, 11 of whom have died.
KOMPAS/KRISTI DWI UTAMI
Officers stopped residents from leaving Randusari Village, Tegal Regency, Central Java, Monday (7/6/2021). The village is categorized as a red zone. There are 83 residents who have been exposed to Covid-19. The local government implemented a two-week lockdown to suppress the expansion of the spread of Covid-19.
Clusters of transmission have also emerged in a number of areas, one of which is a boarding school in Laweyan district, Surakarta City, Central Java. There were 39 cases of Covid-19 found there. The patients are undergoing quarantine at the Donohudan Haj Dormitory in Boyolali.
In Bekasi regency, West Java, a cluster of infections from a wedding reception occurred at the Villa Mutiara Gading Permai, Tarumajaya. It was recorded that 33 people were positive for Covid-19 and were evacuated to a centralized quarantine area at the Ibis Cikarang Hotel.
Firm steps
Seeing the trend of increasing cases in a number of areas, an epidemiologist at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Riris Andono
Ahmad, is of the opinion that the government must take tactical steps to control the infection.
According to her, to significantly reduce the transmission of Covid-19 in an area, it is necessary to stop the mobility of 70 percent of the population in that region. The mobility restriction must be carried out about three weeks or twice the period of transmission of the Covid-19 virus which lasts for 7-10 days.
"This is to create a kind of herd immunity effect. If we use the concept of herd immunity, 70 percent of people must be protected," said Riris.
In order for the mobility restriction policy to be effective, the government must ensure that residents who stay at home have no difficulty in obtaining basic needs. This is important so that people can really stay at home and are not forced to leave their homes to earn an income.
On the other hand, she said, some people feel they have been fed up with the pandemic situation, so they are reluctant to comply with the government policies related to activity restrictions. Therefore, the role of influential figures is needed to convince the public to comply with government policies.
It is necessary to consider enforcing stricter steps, such as large-scale social restrictions.
Agung conveyed the same thing, especially regarding the conditions in Bangkalan. According to him, large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) should be considered (for enforcement).
"For Bangkalan, we need to be vigilant especially if it [spike in Covid-19 cases] spreads to other regencies on Madura Island, namely Sampang, Pamekasan, and Sumenep. So, it is necessary to consider enforcing stricter steps, such as large-scale social restrictions," he said.
As of yesterday, the number of Covid-19 cases in the country reached 1,869,325, with 99,963 active cases.
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FPPKM-Mikro-Kudus_1623068762.jpg){kind=logo}
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2Fe2d36ebf-aeb0-4de5-92f1-6488927ba6c6_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
