The curve has begun to flatten in Jakarta. However, if returning (Eid-al-Fitr) holidaymakers are not prevented, then they will cause a second wave (of COVID-19 cases)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The curve of COVID-19 infections in Jakarta has begun to flatten based on the risk map, chief of the expert team of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling Prof. Wiku Adisasmito stated.

"The curve has begun to flatten in Jakarta. However, if the returning (Eid-al-Fitr) holidaymakers are not prevented, then they will lead to a second wave (of COVID-19 cases)," he noted during an online press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

People, who will enter or exit the capital city, are required to apply for an Exit and Entry Permit (SIKM) in accordance with Governor Regulation No. 47 of 2020 on restriction on exit from and entry to Jakarta to stem the spread of COVID-19.

If they do not secure an SIKM, they will be ordered to return to their cities of origin or quarantined at a location determined by the COVID-19 task force.

Adisasmito pointed to a rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in East Java Province.

He highlighted the public's full participation in curbing the trend of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta and preventing the rising number of COVID-19 cases in East Java.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a region can conduct social and economic activities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic if it meets three main aspects, he noted.

"The indicators of public health are based on three main aspects, specifically epidemiology picture, public health surveillance, and health service," he revealed.

The epidemiology of a region will be viewed as good if the number of COVID-19 positive cases, patients under treatment, people under surveillance, and deaths dropped to at least 50 percent in the past couple of weeks after the last peak, he expounded.

In addition, public health surveillance should be intensified.

"The number of samples tested at laboratories must increase while concurrently the number of positive cases must decline," he stated.

The health service encompasses the number of beds and personal protective equipment available to handle COVID-19 patients, he remarked.

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Translator: Dewanto Samodro/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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