TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had declined significantly. In terms of confirmed cases, he outlined, the daily and weekly figures are now around 5,000 cases.

“The current number of confirmed cases has fallen quite far to 5,000 per day. Inshallah, it will fall below 5,000 per day," said Budi in a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Health Commission today, September 13.

Budi explained the daily number of hospitalizations also plummeted to below 20,000 albeit the weekly number was still higher. However, the figures were far better than those before the Eid holidays last year.

“The death numbers have also decreased drastically,” Budi added.

Based on the latest data, the daily death toll stood at 270 cases, with weekly figures of around 460 cases. This was far better when compared to the death toll during the peak of the COVID-19 wave reaching 2,000 cases per day.

The Health Minister went on to reiterate that based on the six indicators of the World Health Organization (WHO), Indonesia has entered level 1 for the category of confirmed cases. The WHO’s benchmark is below 20,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week.

As for the hospitalizations and deaths, Budi said, Indonesia is now at level 2. “Inshallah, this will continue to drop to level one,” he said.

Indonesia’s COVID-19 positivity rate has also dropped below the WHO’s benchmark standard of below five percent, the tracing improved to 15 people per one case, and the bed occupancy rate (BOR) returned to a normal rate of 17.14 percent.

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BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI