Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Thursday, September 1, 2022)

Anticipating the impact of the continuously rising Omicron variant transmission, 166 regencies/cities aggressively conducted suspect testing, with a weekly percentage exceeding the national average. Data as of Thursday, September 1, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 9.89 percent. This suspect testing data is calculated based on the number of suspected individuals and close contacts compared to the number of people tested in each region, which is then reported to the Ministry of Health.

The top five, starting from the highest weekly percentage of suspect testing, are Simalungun (89.66%), Mandailing Natal (81.12%), Pangandaran (77.44%), Tasikmalaya (70.53%), and Padang Lawas (61.11%).

Simalungun ranks first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly percentage of suspect testing is recorded at 89.66 percent. The latest positive rate is 13.33 percent. The positive rate in this region increased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Mandailing Natal. The population of this region is 460,360. In an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly percentage of suspect testing is 81.12 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, having decreased compared to the previous week's percentage.

Furthermore, the weekly percentage of suspect testing in Pangandaran is 77.44 percent, 70.53 percent in Tasikmalaya, and 61.11 percent in Padang Lawas.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national COVID-19 data recapitulation, there are 224 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reporting a higher daily weekly percentage of suspect testing than before. Meanwhile, 132 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly percentage of suspect testing compared to the previous week.

Some of the regions outside Java with the highest weekly percentage of suspect testing include Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and Padang Lawas, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 89.66 percent, 81.12 percent, and 61.11 percent, respectively.

Although COVID-19 transmission has decreased in some areas, the government urges everyone to continue to reduce COVID-19 transmission by always wearing masks, maintaining distance, and frequently washing hands with soap and running water. Avoiding crowds and reducing mobility also contribute to suppressing the spread of the coronavirus.