TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta is slowly increasing following the finding of the Omicron variant. On Monday, the city recorded 360 new cases, which were mostly contributed by international travelers at 259.

Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Unit at the Jakarta Health Agency, Dwi Oktavia, said 2,129 people were undergoing treatment or isolation as of Monday. “This should be underlined that 1,603 of the number of active cases are international travelers,” Dwi said.

Along with the rising positive cases, Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said the occupancy rate of COVID-19 isolation beds also increased from four to nine percent, or 348 of 3,885 total beds were occupied as of Jan. 9.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds also increased by five percent to 31 of the total 604 beds. “[It rises] by one percent from four percent,” Riza added.

Riza said the provincial government had prepared a scenario for facing the third wave of COVID-19 and continued to coordinate with the regional leadership coordination forum (Forkopimda), experts, and other government agencies.

The Gerindra Party politician also mentioned that the Omicron variant spreads faster than the Delta variant. He thus asked the public to be careful and disciplined in carrying out the predetermined health protocol.

An epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, said the rising number of Omicron cases in Jakarta was the starting point for the COVID-19 third wave. He said the third wave was inevitable due to active public mobility and a decrease in policy interventions on people’s activity.

Read: Health Minister Readies Free Telemedicine Services for Omicron Patients

LANI DIANA WIJAYA