Focus on Six Provinces

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

The treatment room at the Covid-19 Field Hospital of the East Java Provincial Government, which was built in the Complex of the Center for Research and Development of Health Services, Surabaya, East Java, Wednesday (27/5/2020). The field hospital, which is ready to open, has a capacity of 500 people.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has asked the COVID-19 task force to help provinces that continue to see increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the disease.JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Six provinces have received special attention from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo due to their high number of the new COVID-19 cases, namely East Java, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Papua and West Nusa Tenggara. The President has asked the COVID-19 task force, ministries and other related government institutions to assist the six provinces.

"I want the task force and ministries to focus on provinces whose new cases are quite high," the President said in a limited meeting on the handling the COVID-19 outbreak at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin, a number of ministers and heads of government institutions joined the virtual meetings from their respective offices.

Also read: Prevent Exodus Travelers from Returning

In a press conference held after the meeting, the chairman of the COVID-19 task force, Doni Monardo, said the task force had sent two BSC-2 mobile laboratories to East Java following the rapid increase in new COVID19 cases in a number of cities and districts in the province. Each mobile laboratory is capable of examining 800 swab samples per day.

The task force has also helped set up an emergency hospital. It has provided Rp 10 billion (US$677,093) to set up field hospitals in the form of tents equipped with air conditioners and other supporting facilities.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

From the balcony of the treatment room, a man without symptoms of Covid-19 joins morning exercises with medical personnel and volunteers at the Covid-19 quarantine shelter, Tangerang regency, Banten, Tuesday (26/5/2020). Since it began operating on April 20, 110 patients have been treated there. At present around 40 people without symptoms and patients with mild symptoms of Covid-19 are still undergoing treatment free of charge.

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said in Surabaya that the COVID-19 outbreak had not subsided in the province as the number of new cases continued to increase.

As of Wednesday, East Java reported 3,939 cases, with an average of 145 new cases every day. Of the total confirmed cases, 322 people have died. A total of 3,069 people are still being treated, while 522 patients have recovered. The death has reached an average of four to five people a day.

East Java has not been able to implement the ‘new normal’ [protocols] because the transmission rate remains high.

"East Java has not been able to implement the ‘new normal’ [protocols] because the transmission rate remains high," Khofifah said.

The new normal she referred to is the easing of social restrictions while implementing new norms, especially clean and healthy living behaviors and expanded health protocols.

Also read: ‘Mudik’ Increases COVID-19 Transmissions

According to Khofifah, the transmission rate in East Java remains high, at 1.3, which means that 10 positive people can infect three others in less than a week. The highest transmission rate is in the city of Surabaya, with a rate of 1.6.

Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO

Officers of the joint team check assignment letters and documents of entry and exit (SIKM) at kilometer 47 of the Cikampek tollgate in Karawang, West Java on Wednesday (27/5/2020). Vehicle users intending to enter Jakarta are required to show their office assignment letters and document for entry and exit (SIKM). The regulation stipulates that residents from outside Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) may only enter the capital city if they have the SIKM documents. An SIKM is also required by Jakarta residents who want to leave Greater Jakarta, accompanied by proof of office assignments. If an individual leaves Jakarta without an SIKM, they will be asked to return.

A relaxation of social restrictions can be done if a number of conditions are met, one of which is a transmission rate of less than 1 percent.

Infected

Meanwhile, a total of 20 health workers at the Airlangga University Hospital (RSUA) in Surabaya have tested positive for COVID-19, disrupting healthcare services at the hospital.

The hospital has examined hundreds of employees and health workers to trace contacts in order to break the chain of transmission.

The secretary of the COVID-19 task force at the hospital, Alfian Nur Rosyid, said in Surabaya that the health workers did not show any symptoms of COVIDd-19. They have been placed in isolation to prevent the spread of the disease. The hospital has examined hundreds of employees and health workers to trace contacts in order to break the chain of transmission.

Hamzah, deputy director of the medical and nursing services at the hospital, said in a notification letter that the hospital had decided not to receive new COVID-19 patients. Its medical personnel will focus on existing patients.

Kompas/Priyombodo

From the balcony of the treatment rooms, patients without symptoms of Covid-19 join morning exercises with medical personnel and volunteers at the Covid-19 quarantine shelter, Tangerang regency, Banten, Tuesday (26/5/2020). Since it began operating on April 20, 110 patients have been treated there. At present around 40 people without symptoms and patients with mild symptoms of Covid-19 are still undergoing treatment free of charge.

The RSUA emergency department for the time being only serves COVID-19 patients with a high risk of death, while inpatient installation facilities are focusing on patients who are undergoing treatment.Outpatient installation facilities are only open for dialysis, tuberculosis and HIV treatments, as well as integrated oncology, scheduled operations and chronic drug collection.

"This will last for 14 days beginning on May 26," said Hamzah.

COVID-19 has also infected laboratory assistants or researchers at the tropical disease institute of the Airlangga University (LPT), whose building is adjacent to the RSUA hospital in the Mulyorejo Campus complex, or Campus C. In this complex, there is also a rector\'s building and several lecture buildings. The LPT has been assigned by the government to examine swab samples.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

New traffic signs instructing the mandatory use of a mask have been put up on Jl. Gubeng in Surabaya, East Java on Wednesday (27/5/2020). The government is currently preparing for a new stage of normal life in a number of areas. In this stage, it was emphasized to individuals and business sectors to better comply with health protocols to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Researchers at the LPT who tested positive for COVID-19 are those who were tasked with examining swab samples. The infection of several researchers prompted the head of the LPT, Maria Inge Lusida, to reduce the number of swab sample examinations.

They came from six hospitals and a public health center (Puskesmas).

In West Nusa Tenggara, as of Wednesday, as many as 67 health workers have caught the disease. They came from six hospitals and a public health center (Puskesmas). The head of the health office in the province, Nurhandini Eka Dewi, said the infected health workers included doctors and dentists, 54 paramedics, one nutrition worker, one pharmacist and one radiologist.

Backflow

In a limited Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the President asked ministers and heads of government institutions to control the backflow of homebound travelers after the Idul Fitri festive period to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in Greater Jakarta.

According to Doni, tight control over the backflow after Idul Fitri is needed to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 transmissions, especially in some areas that have begun to show a decrease in the transmission rates (R0 ) to below 1. An RO rate of 1, for example, means that on average, each infected person will infect one other person they come in contact with.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

An officer asks a driver to turn around on the north coast route in Lemahwutut district, Cirebon city, West Java, Wednesday (27/5/2020) afternoon. Drivers who cannot show travel documents, such as permission to enter and exit Jakarta and office assignments will be asked to go back to the place of origin. That afternoon, nine cars and 12 motorbikes were asked to turn around.

On Wednesday, nationally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 686 cases to 23,851. The death toll reached 1,473 people while the number of recoveries increased to 6,057 people. (ZAK/SYA/LAS/INA/BRO)