We are currently preparing COVID-19 vaccines. We are optimistic of receiving it in November 2020Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan accentuated the criticality of testing and tracking COVID-19 cases whilst awaiting for the vaccine to arrive in November.
"We are currently preparing COVID-19 vaccines. We are optimistic of receiving it in November 2020," Pandjaitan, concurrently deputy chair of the Committee on Policy for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, remarked during a virtual coordination meeting on targeted testing and tracing of COVID-19 in Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta) and Bali on Tuesday.
The minister called for a plan as a precautionary measure against a likely spike in the number of cases at the end of October. This is since during the long holidays in August, the number of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta had risen sharply to over 60 percent.
"We need to chalk out a plan as a precautionary measure against this," the minister noted in a statement here on Wednesday.
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Advisor to the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs for COVID-19 Handling Monica Nirmala, who was present at the coordination meeting, affirmed that testing and tracking were deemed important since the transmission of COVID-19 was largely caused by a handful of infected people, who were referred to as super spreaders. As many as 80 percent of the new cases are caused by 20 percent of the infected people.
"They are able to transmit the virus approximately two days before symptoms develop and up to 10 days after the symptoms arise. Owing to this short infectious period, our response time and speed are very important to break the chain of transmission. Time is of essence," she emphasized.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan pointed to a decrease in the proportion of office clusters in Jakarta in the past 14 days after targeted testing and tracing was conducted.
"This testing is conducted free of charge on eight thousand specimens per day," he stated.
Furthermore, the sub-district health center is the frontline for testing and tracing. Each puskesmas has two components: a digital tracer tasked with investigating cases and following up on all of their close contacts and secondly, field coordinators in each sub-district involving 1,500 ASNs and volunteers.
The Jakarta government has provided the Jakarta Terkini (JAKI) application, with over 800 thousand active users there. This application can be used to report violations in health protocols and tracing COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster highlighted that conditions in Bali had begun showing signs of improvement.
"The number of new cases tends to decline. The number of COVID-19 patients is below 100 cases per day. The cure rate has increased to 86.37 percent. The mortality rate can be controlled to below five percent," he stated.
West Java, which earlier had five demarcated red zones, from October 6 to October 11, 2020, currently has just three districts and cities.
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Translator: Ade Irma J, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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