At this moment, the Delta variant, which is highly contagious and has the potential to cause severity (severe infection), remains dominant in Indonesia.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry has asked six Indonesian provinces to remain alert for the Delta variant of the coronavirus while, at the same time, improve their testing and tracing capability.

“At this moment, the Delta variant, which is highly contagious and has the potential to cause severity (severe infection), remains dominant in Indonesia,” the ministry’s spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination, Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said at an online press conference on the enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The six provinces with the highest prevalence of the Delta variant are Aceh, North Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and Central Sulawesi, she informed.


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Meanwhile, the three provinces of Southeast Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, and North Maluku have reported no incidents of the Delta variant, she said.

“Three provinces have reported no incidents of the Delta variant. But this does not mean that no variant of coronavirus is found there. Remember that the pandemic does not recognize borders, so we all have to stay alert for it,” she remarked.

To prevent a spike in active cases in all parts of the country, the ministry has taken a number of effective preventive measures capable of preventing transmission, including testing, tracing, self-isolation, health protocols, and vaccinations, Tarmizi said.

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“We are trying to recognize our enemy in a more controllable and accurate way. As I have mentioned earlier, the pandemic and the coronavirus do not recognize administrative borders,” she added.

She also urged citizens to rush to nearby public health service posts or use telemedicine facilities if they experience shortness of breath.

“Remember. Don’t decide to self isolate without consulting a healthcare worker. We know that the Delta variant can worsen symptoms quickly. Come to the hospital or health facility without delay if the symptoms are getting worse and you find it more difficult to breathe,” she said.


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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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