Systematic and measurable testing and tracing must be carried out consistently to prevent (virus) transmission among patients in health facilitiesJakarta (ANTARA) - People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat has underlined the need for systematic protection for health workers against COVID-19 amid a rise in positivity rate in the group.
"Alertness in the healthcare system must be increased in the handling of the current spike in COVID-19 positive cases. Several protection standards for health workers must be implemented consistently," she said in a written statement issued here on Thursday.
Based on the Ministry of Health's records, as of February 6, 2022, more than 30 percent of health workers in four hospitals in Jakarta have been exposed to COVID-19 with no symptoms or mild symptoms, Moerdijat noted.
This shows the urgent need for consistent protection of health workers, she said.
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"Systematic and measurable testing and tracing must be carried out consistently to prevent (virus) transmission among patients in health facilities," she stressed.
Such steps are essential, especially because several health workers contracted COVID-19 but experienced no symptoms, she pointed out. Therefore, if testing is not carried out consistently, they could potentially transmit the virus to patients, she said.
This condition requires a high degree of professionalism in the management of health facilities and health workers through the consistent conduct of COVID-19 swab tests for confirming the health status of health workers, she added.
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The MPR deputy speaker said that for tackling the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, stakeholders and the community are expected to increase their compliance with existing rules.
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of February 9, 2022, Indonesia has recorded 4,626,936 COVID-19 cases, 4,216,328 recoveries, and 144,784 deaths.
The Ministry of Health detected the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Indonesia on December 15, 2021. With the spread of the new variant, the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has increased significantly.
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Translator: Imam Budilaksono, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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