However, it is still within the (limit)
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan highlighted that despite national COVID-19 cases having spiked again, the rates of hospitalization and deaths were still much lower than those during the delta variant wave.

"The (current) trend of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is (showing) a very rapid increase. However, in general, the impact on hospitals and overall deaths is still relatively much smaller (as compared to the time during) delta (variant outbreak)," Pandjaitan stated at a press conference as seen here on Monday.

The minister cited the provinces of Jakarta, West Java, and Banten as examples of such trend in which their COVID-19 cases had increased swiftly, yet the hospitalization rate and death toll were still less than those during the Delta strain.

However, he drew attention to Bali, as it needed additional assistance due to a trend of increasing cases that exceeded the peak of the delta wave. Their hospital occupancy rate had also increased.

"However, it is still within the (limit)," he remarked.

Pandjaitan stated that the assessment of the community activities restriction level conducted by the government laid greater attention on hospital inpatients.

Currently, some 65 percent of the hospitalized patients were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

He appealed to people exposed to COVID-19 and either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms to undergo isolation at the centers so as not to overwork health facilities.

"Hence, all of those with mild symptoms (or) asymptomatic (patients), do not go to the hospital, so that the BOR (hospital occupancy rate) remains low. We will also see the ICU (occupancy rate) later on, as it is also a strong indicator," he remarked.

The Omicron variant was noted to have a more rapid transmission. Several countries, such as the United States, Israel, France, and Japan, recorded the COVID-19 death toll that surpassed the peak of the death toll during the Delta variant outbreak. However, a different pattern was reported in other countries, such as India or South Africa.

"Hence, the government continues to update data, seek advice from experts, and analyze developments occurring in all (other) countries, so that it (could learn to better) handle Omicron in Indonesia," he concluded.

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Translator: Ade Irma J, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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