Indonesia Highlights: Two Indonesian Soldiers Killed in Firefight Against Papuan Insurgents | Indonesian Health Minister Criticizes Current Covid-19 Testing Methods | Number of Covid-19 Cases Near 1 M

Indonesian Health Minister Criticizes Current Covid-19 Testing Methods

New Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has strongly criticized the government’s current method of Covid-19 testing. Budi slammed the methods on grounds that it does not adhere to epidemiological standards.

“The number of Covid-19 cases continue to multiply even though the number of people tested [for the pandemic] regularly exceeded the targets set by the World Health Organization,” he said on Friday, January 23.

“The methods of testing, tracing and treatment or 3T, and isolation [of cases] are nothing more than patching up a flat tire. We are not even disciplined or impartial in carrying out the tests.”

Budi maintained that the authorities did not cast their net of test subjects widely enough. “The authorities might carry out many tests. But many of the samples they took are from a relatively limited number of people, not least officials like me,” he asserted.

“Every time I meet President [Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo] I get tested. I even got a swab test five times a week before I go to the Presidential Palace,” Budi pointed out.

He said that proper epidemiological tests should target suspected Covid-19 cases among the public, not just officials or travelers, so the authorities can trace or treat them just as quickly and as evenly they are tested.

Budi also has issues with his ministry’s figures for vaccinations. “[The Ministry of Health] will use the General Election Commission or KPU’s statistics instead of the Ministry’s, as their use in the recent regional elections make them more accurate,” he lamented.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/01/23/045150874/indonesian-health-minister-criticizes-current-covid-19-testing-methods. 

Number of Covid-19 Cases Near 1 Million Mark

Indonesia’s Covid-19 crisis is spiraling out of control, as the number of cases quickly surged near the one million mark after it stands at 965,283 as of Friday, January 23, after an additional 13,632 cases.

The Covid-19 Task Force said the number includes 27,453 people who died, after the number of fatalities went up by 250.

On the other hand, the number of those who recovered from the coronavirus stands at 781,147, after 8,357 people were given a clean bill of health.

The authorities estimated that there are 79.349 suspected Covid-19 cases in Indonesia. The government determined these figures by examining 8,638,162 Covid-19 specimens from 5.770.517 people.

The pandemic has Indonesia in its grasp, as Covid-19 was found in Indonesia’s 34 provinces, specifically in the 510 regencies and cities nationwide.

Source:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/01/22/15551881/update-22-januari-bertambah-250-pasien-covid-19-meninggal-dunia-jadi-27453.