Thank God, our national bed occupancy rate is now down to 29 percentJakarta (ANTARA) - The national bed occupancy ratio has declined to 29 percent, directly in proportion to the decline in daily COVID-19 cases, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) informed in Jakarta on Thursday.
"Thank God, our national bed occupancy rate is now down to 29 percent. This, we need to be grateful for," the President remarked.
The bed occupancy rate stood at 68 percent in December 2020, then declined in mid-May 2021, and is now pegged at 29 percent, he informed.
The decline in infections in May did not last, as in July, there was a spike in national COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, he noted.
On July 18, 2021, the national bed occupancy rate was at 80 percent, with some hospitals filled to capacity, he said.
Jokowi said he constantly monitored the bed occupancy rate at Kemayoran Athlete's Village Emergency COVID-19 Hospital, as it became an important indicator of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September 2020, bed occupancy rate in Kemayoran Athlete's Village Emergency COVID-19 Hospital had reached 92 percent. Thankfully, it dipped to 15 percent in mid-May 2021, he said.
"But (the figure) jumped up at the end of June 2021, on June 30, even reached 91 percent, and continued for two weeks. If the increase was still ongoing, Athlete's Village would have certainly collapsed," he remarked.
In view of the spike in infections, the government issued a policy to enforce restrictions on community activities, he added.
Currently, the bed occupancy rate at the Kemayoran Athlete's Village Emergency COVID-19 Hospital has dropped by 12 percent. However, everyone must continue to remain vigilant against the transmission of COVID-19, he said.
"Remain vigilant and fully cautious in stipulating existing policies because this thing (coronavirus) is unpredictable and full of uncertainty, especially the Delta variant," Jokowi remarked.
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Translator: Indra Arief P, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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