TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Health Agency reported that the COVID-19 positivity rate in the capital city has again increased. At present, the weekly average rate is 7.8 percent, up from last week’s 7.1 percent.

“During the past week, the positivity rate is 7.8 percent,” confirmed Widyastuti, the city’s Head of the Health Agency, in an online press conference in BNPB, Wednesday, August 5.

Widyastuti said the rate has been already above the WHO (World Health Organization) standard of 5 percent. However, she added, the cumulative figure since the onset of the pandemic in March until date remained at 5.5 percent.

The positivity rate is the percentage of positive results of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests per the total number of people tested. In line with the hike, she argued, Jakarta kept raising the testing capacity.

Widyastuti mentioned that Jakarta now has 22,909 positive cases, with 14,381 recoveries, and 880 fatalities.

The city COVID-19 mitigation task force earlier reported that last week’s positivity rate was at 7.1 percent, up from the previous week’s 5.9 percent.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan admitted there was a hike in the positivity rate recently. Thus, he reminded the public to remain vigilant over virus transmission.

Read: COVID-19 Positivity Rate in Past 3 Weeks Exceeds WHO Standard: Task Force

TAUFIQ SIDDIQ