Delta Variant Mutation Unpredicted, Govt Staff Recalls

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Coordinating Minister of Economics special staffer Raden Pardede on Wednesday said active Covid-19 cases for the past weeks have continued to increase, mainly driven by the transmission of the Delta variant, which he admitted was “unexpected.”

During a virtual seminar with Indef on July 7 he said “We completely never forecasted the mutation of the new virus.”

He highlighted the statistic that compares coronavirus variants from Wuhan and Alpha strains and claims that one case of the Wuhan variant is able to spread to 729 people if health protocols are ignored. Meanwhile, the Alpha variant can potentially spread to 15,625 other people while one case of the Covid-19 Delta strain - if spread from a person not practicing health protocols - is able to transmit to 117,649 people. 

“It is said that the new delta variant dominates [current cases],” said Raden. 

The government continues to closely monitor the Covid-19 surge as of july 5 which has caused a record-breaking daily case growth of 29,745. However, the government believes that the Delta variant alone is not to blame and said the high public activity because of public holidays in May and June worsened the viral spread. 

Pardede also mentioned the possibility that the Delta variant entered Indonesia through the significant number of migrant workers and international tourists arriving in Indonesia from the Middle East and India. 

Read also: Over 100 Children in Jakarta Infected with Covid-19 Delta Variant

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA