At 23 hospitals designated as isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients, 731 beds have been filled as of Friday.
"(A total of) 731 isolation beds at 23 COVID-19 referral hospitals have been filled," head of the disease prevention and control section at the West Jakarta health sub-department, Arum Ambarsari, informed.
In addition, 88 of the 144 ICU beds at each referral hospital have been occupied, she said.
Patients who are being treated in hospital have severe symptoms and congenital disease, she disclosed. Meanwhile, asymptomatic patients are being advised to self-isolate at home, she said.
Isolation centers have been set up at the Hasyim Asy'ari Mosque and Pesaki Flats in Daan Mogot, Ambarsari informed.
Additionally, hundreds of health workers have been dispatched to treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals and isolation centers, she said.
She assured that her team would provide the best services to patients. She then urged people to continue following the health protocols when conducting activities outside their homes to suppress COVID-19 transmission.
Of late, Indonesia has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, she noted.
Related news: Jakarta government records decline in hospital bed occupancy rate
Many studies have proved that Omicron is not as dangerous as the Delta variant. It has a significantly faster rate of transmission.
This has led to the Omicron triggering a spike in cases in a short time.
The Health Ministry has predicted that the peak of Omicron cases would be three to six times higher than the peak of the Delta variant.
With cases continuing to increase, the government has been pushing vaccinations. It has already rolled out booster vaccines for people who have completed the first two doses to suppress COVID-19 spread.
According to officials, most of the people who have died of Omicron so far have been unvaccinated.
Related news: Hospital bed occupancy rate remains at 24.77 percent: ministry
Translator: Walda Marison, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
