Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Friday, July 8, 2022)

Unwilling to be caught off guard and continuing efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, currently 154 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing percentages above the national average. Data as of Friday, July 8, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 7.97 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 with the highest weekly suspect testing percentage, are Simalungun (89.7%), Mandailing Natal (82.86%), Pangandaran (81.12%), East Lombok (66.17%), and Balangan (65.32%).

Simalungun ranks first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage here is recorded at 89.7 percent. The latest positive rate is 0.21 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Mandailing Natal. The population in this region is recorded at 460,360. In an effort to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 82.86 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, or has decreased compared to the previous week's percentage.

Furthermore, the weekly suspect testing percentage in Pangandaran is recorded at 81.12 percent, in East Lombok at 66.17 percent, and in Balangan, with a population of 134,580, the weekly suspect testing percentage is recorded at 65.32 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on a recapitulation of national Covid data, there are 198 regencies/cities in Indonesia that actively report a higher daily weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 143 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly suspect testing percentage compared to the previous week's testing.

Regions outside Java with the highest weekly suspect testing percentages include Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and East Lombok, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 89.7 percent, 82.86 percent, and 66.17 percent, respectively.

Although Covid-19 transmission has decreased in some areas, the government urges everyone to continue to participate in reducing 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 curbing the spread of the coronavirus.