"With regard to testing, I ask the ministry of health to make a really good design plan," the President said at a plenary cabinet session on 'Health Management and Economic Recovery for Strengthening Reform of 2021’, at the state palace here on Monday.
"There are provinces that have done very high testing, but there are provinces where testing is still very low. The planning design must be truly comprehensive," he said at a cabinet meeting attended by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, ministers, and state officials.
The plan for the implementation of a comprehensive COVID-19 test, the President said, must include data collection and preparation of examination laboratories in each province as well as the provision of inspection facilities in each province.
"We need planning so that it will be seen which positive cases are in which region or province, and this lab network strategy is important, not based on administrative areas. The design for planning must really exist and must be prepared," he elaborated.
The President said the government is prioritizing handling of health problems caused by COVID-19 because if health problems can be handled, economic activity can be restored quickly.
"We want to restart as soon as possible in the economic sector. Don't let the COVID-19 affair not be handled properly. This is also very dangerous," the President remarked.
President Widodo had earlier envisaged a target of 30 thousand COVID-19 tests per day, but with existing inspection facilities, as of now, testing capacity has reached 28 thousand specimens per day.
As of Sunday (September 6, 2020), the total number of coronavirus infections in Indonesia reached 194,109, with recoveries recorded at 138,575 and deaths at 8,025.
Examinations to detect the transmission of COVID-19 have been carried out on a total of 2,433,752 specimens so far. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Desca L, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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