South Sumatra Sees COVID-19 Red Zones Increase

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of red zones, or areas with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, in South Sumatra has increased to three before the gubernatorial regulation on adaptation to the new normal comes into effect mid-September.

The three red zones are Muara Enim district, Lahat district, and Lubuklinggau city, according to the local COVID-19 task force.

“The number of daily cases in South Sumatra has begun to increase again, though it (the number) has fluctuated,” chief of the surveillance and immunization section of the South Sumatra Health Office, Yusri, said on Saturday.

Lubuklinggau city has been declared a red zone since August 16 this year. It ranks third among districts and cities in the province in terms of infections with a COVID-19 case count of 342, he said.

Muara Enim, which is ranked second in terms of COVID-19 cases, has been a red zone since August 30, he added.

The COVID-19 status of Lahat district has been raised to red. With 64 COVID-19 cases, the district is ranked 11th, he continued.

As per data, South Sumatra has seen daily cases increase by 20-50 on average, with 10 percent of the patients categorized as heavily symptomatic.

South Sumatra has recorded 4,945 COVID-19 cases as of September 11, 2020, with 3,570 patients, or 72.19 percent, recovering from the virus and 294 patients, or 5.95 percent, succumbing to it.

On the national scale, the province is ranked 10th in terms of positive cases and 18th in terms of the recovery rate. However, it ranks in the top five in terms of its mortality rate, which is still above the national average at 4.1 percent.

Read also: South Sumatra Faces Resurgence of New COVID-19 Clusters at Workplace

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