Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has experienced a 620-percent spike in positive COVID-19 cases, government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling, Wiku Adisasmito, announced at a press conference here on Friday.
“If sorted by the highest percentage increase in weekly positive cases, Indonesia has the most significant increase, which is up by 620 percent in 28 days,” Adisasmito explained.
According to him, after a sustained decline in cases over a long period, a national increase in positive cases was recorded as of June 28, 2022, which was followed by a spike in a number of countries.
The developments in each country may vary due to their individual characteristics and patterns of COVID-19 control, he said.
In Indonesia alone, the number of daily cases continued to be above the two thousand-mark on two consecutive days, he noted.
Although the figure is not that high compared to previous peaks in cases, it still needs to be controlled immediately, Adisasmito emphasized.
Related news: COVID-19 positive cases in Indonesia increase by 2,248: Task Force
Reflecting on the graph of cases from May to June 2021, there was an increase of more than 200 thousand cases, from 153 thousand to 356 thousand cases, in just two months.
Adisasmito said that the good news is, in 2022, the number of cases in the same months (May and June) has been lower.
“The low numbers when compared to last year show that we are getting more resilient and continuing to improve the situation in a better direction,” he said.
However, he advised vigilance as the holiday period for school students is currently on, which tends to increase people’s movement to tourist attractions. In addition, community activities are also expected to increase ahead of Eid al-Adha 1443 Hijri.
“But, on the other hand, we must be vigilant, because there was an increase of more than 23 thousand cases in one month, indicating that the level of transmission in the community is increasingly widespread, and last year’s July was the highest peak to more than one million cases in one month,” he affirmed.
Related news: Make COVID booster easier to access, President tells officials
Related news: Govt plans to make third dose a requirement for crowded events
