COVID-19 News: Indonesia Battles Escalating December Surge While Jakarta Records Over 200 Daily COVID-19 Cases
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 17, 2023 11 months, 5 days, 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
COVID-19 News: As December unfolds, Indonesia is grappling with a concerning surge in COVID-19 cases, prompting health officials to intensify efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Achmad Farchanny Tri Adryanto, the Director of Health Quarantine Surveillance at the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) within the Indonesian Health Ministry, revealed that as of December 13, the nation has reported a staggering total of 6,815,894 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 161,927 deaths.
https://infeksiemerging.kemkes.go.id/weekly-update/perkembangan-situasi-penyakit-infeksi-emerging-minggu-epidemiologi-ke-48-tahun-2023
While the World Health Organization (WHO) and President Jokowi have revoked the COVID-19 emergency status, health experts caution that the virus has not disappeared, and the potential for new variants remains.
Indonesia Records A 13 Percent Increase In COVID-19 Cases For The Month Of December So Far.
In a webinar hosted by Persahabatan Hospital on December 16, 2023, Achmad expressed deep concern over the 13% increase in COVID-19 cases throughout December. Analyzing the data from December 14, 2023, he disclosed to various local
COVID-19 News outlets that the country reported an average of 359 daily cases, with a recovery rate of 79 cases. The active cases, which include individuals receiving hospital treatment or practicing self-isolation, rose from 1,219 cases on December 13 to 1,499 cases.
This surge, according to Achmad, can be attributed in part to the increasing testing trend observed in December 2023. Remarkably, he pointed out that the testing trend had decreased from early this year until August 2023, but since December 6, daily monitoring has been implemented. Acknowledging the severity of the situation, Achmad stressed that while the current numbers are below those recorded in 2022, this uptick serves as a stark warning, urging a collective effort to fortify the nation's health sector.
In response to the escalating crisis, the Directorate General of Health issued a circular, urging health facilities nationwide to bolster their efforts in tracking COVID-19 cases. All health facilities have been mandated to increase the frequency of COVID-19 testing. The objective is to ensure early detection and immediate responses, mitigating the impact of the virus.
Breaking down the geographical impact, Achmad highlighted that Bali, Bangka Belitung, Banten, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, West Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Papua, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra have reported significant numbers of new cases.
COVID-19 Situation In The Capital Jakarta Gradually Worsening
One of the epicenters of this surge is Jakarta, where the DKI Jakarta Health Service recently reported an alarming statistic: 200 positive COVID-19 cases per day during the past week. Ngabila Salama, Head of the Epidemiology and Immunization Surveillance Department of the DKI Jakarta Health Service, provided insights into the nature of these cases. Almos
t 90% of the positive COVID-19 cases in Jakarta are dominated by patients exhibiting either no symptoms or mild symptoms, with a recovery period of three to five days through self-isolation at home.
Despite the surge in cases, Salama reassured the public that the situation in Jakarta is still under control.
The hospital occupancy rate remains at around 5% of the total beds provided, with approximately 50-60 patients currently receiving treatment in hospitals, constituting 10% of positive active cases in Jakarta.
In emphasizing the importance of vaccination, Salama urged citizens to complete their COVID-19 vaccination regimen, underscoring the potential for the disease's resurgence. As of Sunday, vaccination efforts in Jakarta had seen the distribution of the first dose to 134.2% of the total target population, the second dose to 116.77%, the third dose to 74.99%, and the fourth dose to 9.8%. Notably, the fifth dose had been administered to 52 individuals. The new COVID-19 vaccine is currently available at various vaccination centers, including Tarakan Hospital and Jakarta City Hall.
Salama informed the public that vaccination services are readily available at the Tarakan District Hospital from Monday to Saturday between 08:00 and 12:00 local time, the Jakarta City Hall clinic from Monday to Friday between 13:00 and 16:00 local time, and all district health centers during regular working hours. Encouragingly, individuals seeking vaccination can do so without prior registration.
Crucially, Salama emphasized that all vaccine brands are interchangeable for doses 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, irrespective of the brand from the previous injection. The government's current focus, as per the circular letter from the Indonesian Ministry of Health on December 15, 2023, is on protecting vulnerable groups by completing all five doses of vaccinations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as Indonesia faces a surge in COVID-19 cases in December, authorities are intensifying their efforts to monitor, track, and control the spread of the virus. Increased testing, vaccination campaigns, and public adherence to safety measures are being emphasized to mitigate the impact of the ongoing crisis. The situation in Jakarta, particularly, warrants vigilance, with the health system working diligently to keep the situation under control while urging the public to actively participate in vaccination efforts.
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COVID-19 News, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
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