The daily addition of confirmed cases tends to be high. However, the public should not be focused on that number and should not panic because most of the symptoms shown by patients are mild or no symptoms at all, and the treatment duration is also sh
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health reported that despite a surge in daily cases, the number of COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals was still relatively low.

In a written statement received here on Sunday, nationally, the number of COVID-19 patients currently receiving treatment in hospitals reaches 18,966. Hence, the bed occupancy rate (BOR) in hospitals has only reached 23.35 percent out of the 81,235 available beds for COVID-19 patients.

The spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, confirmed that currently, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals was still low and those in hospitals tend to have mild symptoms or were asymptomatic.

“The daily addition of confirmed cases tends to be high. However, the public should not be focused on that number and should not panic because most of the symptoms shown by patients are mild or no symptoms at all, and the treatment duration is also shorter when compared to other variant cases," she explained.

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Tarmizi admitted that Indonesia would potentially experience a spike in COVID-19 cases in the subsequent two to three weeks. To this end, she highlighted the importance of the community understanding the fact that the Omicron variant was more transmissible, though cases of illness and death due to this variant are low.

"Hence, hospitals should be prioritized for patients who truly need treatment, specifically those with moderate to critical conditions," she added.

The Ministry of Health appealed to people that tested positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms to isolate at home or isolation centers by utilizing telemedicine services or reporting to the nearest community health center.

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"This is especially for those, who do not have chronic comorbidities or those who are not older adults. If people comply with this appeal, in accordance with the Health Ministry's regulation, our hospital occupancy rate could be reduced by 60-70 percent," she noted.

Moreover, she appealed to the community to comply with the health protocols and remain alert to the virus.

The spokesperson pressed for currently suppressing the number of COVID-19 cases by implementing strict health protocols and restricting the people's mobility.
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Translator: Devi Nindy, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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