Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Friday, September 16, 2022)

To suppress the spread of COVID-19 in regions, currently 162 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing percentages above the national average. Data as of Friday, September 16, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 10.41 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 suspect testing percentage, are Simalungun (91.27%), Pangandaran (79.94%), Mandailing Natal (78.53%), Tidore Islands City (76.74%), and Banggai Islands (72.5%).

Simalungun ranks first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage is recorded at 91.27 percent. The latest positive rate is 7.05 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Pangandaran. The population in this region is recorded at 407,350. In an effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 79.94 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 1.06 percent, which has also decreased compared to the previous week's percentage.

Furthermore, Mandailing Natal recorded 78.53 percent testing; Tidore Islands City, with a population of 101,620, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 76.74 percent; and Banggai Islands, with a population of 119,720, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 72.5 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national COVID-19 data recapitulation, there are 182 regencies/cities in Indonesia that actively report a higher daily weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 162 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly suspect testing percentage compared to the previous week's testing.

Some of the regions outside Java with the highest weekly suspect testing percentage ratios include Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and Tidore Islands City, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 91.27 percent, 78.53 percent, and 76.74 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.