"The dominant subvariant is still BA.5. For XBB, there are only four reported cases," Director of Surveillance and Quarantine at the Ministry of Health Achmad Farchanny Tri Adryanto stated at a virtual event titled "Facing New Variant: Strengthen Health Protocols, Complete Vaccinations," on Thursday.
According to Adryanto, as of Thursday (October 27), the COVID-19 positivity rate in Indonesia had risen to 10.23 percent.
Based on the Cov-Spectrum data as of October 19, 2022, six out of 24 countries with XBB infections recorded the highest increase in cases due to the XBB variant, such as Bangladesh, with a 100-percent increase; Singapore, 73.30 percent; India, 16.70 percent; Cambodia, 7.10 percent; Australia, 3.30 percent; and Austria, 2.50 percent.
Meanwhile, Singapore, England, Japan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Brunei, and Indonesia are the eight countries that have shown an increasing trend in terms of the number of positive cases of COVID-19.
Adryanto remarked that in Indonesia, the four XBB cases comprise three cases found in Jakarta and one case in East Java.
He noted that three of the patients are experiencing mild symptoms, while the other one is asymptomatic.
He further remarked that two of the four patients have a travel history to Singapore.
Adryanto expressed optimism that the community would not underestimate the XBB subvariant as the transmission rate is very fast, so Indonesia does not need to face another COVID-19 wave in entering the new year.
"Globally or in Indonesia, the cases tend to increase. Thus, we convey to the community to let us be more aware," he remarked.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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