Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed that 12 districts and cities, with the number of active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reportedly crossing one thousand respectively, should be prioritized in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the coming two weeks, COVID-19 handling must be prioritized in those 12 districts and cities, President Jokowi remarked during a virtual limited cabinet meeting from the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

"I also urge that in the next two weeks, we prioritize 12 cities and districts that have over one thousand active cases or constitute 30 percent of the total national active cases," the head of state remarked while chairing a meeting on the Report of the Committee on COVID-19 Response and National Economic Recovery.

The 12 regencies and cities are Ambon City, North Jakarta, Bogor, Depok City, Bekasi District, Jayapura City, Padang City, Central Jakarta, West Jakarta, Pekanbaru City, South Jakarta, and East Jakarta.

Jokowi pointed to a continued improvement in the nationwide handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia currently.

As of October 11, 2020, Indonesia’s COVID-19 recovery rate reached 76.48 percent, or better than the global average recovery rate of 75.03 percent.

The death rate of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia reached 3.55 percent, or a decrease as compared to 3.77 percent a fortnight ago.

However, the head of state acknowledged that the death rate in Indonesia was still higher than the global average of 2.88 percent.

"However, (the death rate) is still higher than the world's death rate of 2.88 percent. I think our major task here is how to keep the average mortality rate low," he emphasized.

Active COVID-19 cases in Indonesia also decreased to 19.97 percent, from 22.46 percent earlier.

The current rate of active COVID-19 cases is also lower than the world's average of 22.1 percent. Related news: 4,233 hotel rooms readied for COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers
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Translator: Indra Areif P, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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