Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) - The provincial government of West Java has readied hospitals in the province to face a potential surge in COVID-19 cases amid the spread of the XBB sub-variant of Omicron.

"I have checked the readiness of hospitals in the greater Bandung area, especially in Cimahi City, to face and anticipate a surge in COVID-19 (cases) because COVID-19 is unpredictable," Deputy Governor of West Java Uu Ruzhanul Ulum stated when contacted telephonically here on Monday.

Ulum checked the facilities at the Cibabat Regional Public Hospital in Cimahi City and ensured the hospital's readiness to face a potential surge in COVID-19 cases.

The management of the regional public hospital has readied health workers and supporting equipment, such as medical oxygen cylinders, for handling COVID-19 patients.

"If there is a surge, then there will be bureaucratic engineering; there will be a change in patient reception, so that they (the patients) can be treated quickly," the deputy governor remarked.

Ulum urged all regional heads in West Java to be vigilant in facing a potential surge in cases.

"I urge regional heads, district heads, and mayors to coordinate with the task forces in regions, including sub-districts and villages," he stressed.

Furthermore, he appealed to West Java's residents to comply with health protocols to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19 transmission.

According to the Center for COVID-19 Information and Coordination of West Java, COVID-19 cases in the province had risen again since the start of November 2022.

The number of COVID-19 cases on October 31, 2022, stood at 362 and increased to 744 cases recorded on November 1, 2022. Since then, the number of daily confirmed cases has ranged from around 600 to 700 cases.

As of November 5, 2022, some 6,850 COVID-19 patients were still undergoing treatment or quarantine in West Java.

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Translator: Ajat Sudrajat, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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