Three of the six COVID-19 patients who succumbed to the infection were residents of Medan city, while two others resided in Karo district, and one patient lived in Asahan district, the task force's spokesperson, Aris Yudhariansyah, said.
Over the past few days, the province's COVID-19 death rate has shown a rising trend. On February 22, 2021, five new deaths were reported in North Sumatra, while on February 21, 2021, the number of fatalities grew by three, he informed.
He then appealed to locals to continue practicing the government's health protocols, such as wearing face masks, washing hands, and maintaining physical distancing, to break the chain of coronavirus transmission among communities.
As of Tuesday, North Sumatra's infection rate was recorded at 23,894, while its recovery rate stood at 20,667.
The Indonesian government has been struggling to win the battle against the global pandemic since announcing the country's first confirmed infections on March 2, 2020.
The outbreak has dragged Indonesia into serious public health and economic crises. Tourism has been among the severely-affected economic sectors in the country.
To contain the pandemic, the government has not only enforced restrictions on public activity in the islands of Java and Bali since January 11, 2021, but is also conducting a nationwide vaccination program that commenced on January 13, 2021.
The Health Ministry revealed earlier that it would take 15 months to vaccinate around 181.5 million people under the national COVID-19 vaccination program.
Since January 26, 2021, Indonesia's COVID-19 infection rate has topped one million cases.
Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has stressed on the need for successfully administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the targeted population to attain herd immunity and free the nation from the clutches of the lethal pandemic.
Seventy percent of the country's total population must receive the COVID-19 vaccine to achieve herd immunity, he said. (INE)
Related news: North Sumatra's COVID-19 death toll recorded at 681: task force
Related news: North Sumatra to start COVID-19 immunization from Jan 14
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Nur ABS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
