Indonesia's Coronavirus Lab Able to Test 1,700 Specimens Daily
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12 March 2020 08:23 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government’s official spokesman for the country’s coronavirus mitigation, Achmad Yurianto, said that the Health Research and Development Agency (Balitbangkes) are still capable of handling and examining COVID-19 sample specimens.
“The lab’s capacity to examine around 1,700 samples daily is considered sufficient enough,” said Yurianto on Wednesday at the presidential office in Central Jakarta.
Up until now, the Balitbangkes is still central in the examination of Indonesia’s coronavirus cases and with the aforementioned capacity is able to examine a total number of 736 coronavirus specimens.
In a previous announcement, the spokesman said that not everyone can have their blood tested or undergo slab tests and the specific COVID-19 tests are exclusive to patients that are recommended by doctors in appointed hospitals to handle coronavirus cases.
However, Achmad Yurianto said that the government plans to establish Center for Environmental Health Technology (BBTKL) that would collectively test samples that would be spread across the country.
As of Wednesday, March 11, there are 34 positive coronavirus cases in Indonesia. The spread of the virus is said to not only limited to Depok, but also Jakarta and Bali.
EGI ADYATAMA
