Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Saturday, December 31, 2022)

With the increasing rate of Omicron in Indonesia, 147 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing percentages above the national average. Data as of Saturday, December 31, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 11.08 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 (94.92%), Tidore Islands City (89.89%), Mandailing Natal (87.38%), East Lombok (76.19%), and Balangan (75.89%).

Simalungun is ranked first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage here is recorded at 94.92 percent. The latest positive rate is 5.3 percent. The positive rate in this region increased compared to the previous week's percentage.

Next is Tidore Islands City. The population in this region is recorded at 101,620. In an effort to counter the Covid-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 89.89 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 6.67 percent, or higher than the previous week's ratio.

Furthermore, the weekly suspect testing percentage in Mandailing Natal is recorded at 87.38 percent, East Lombok recorded 76.19 percent, and Balangan, with a population of 134,580, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 75.89 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national Covid data recapitulation, there are 162 regencies/cities in Indonesia that actively report a higher daily weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 139 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 percentages include Simalungun, Tidore Islands City, and Mandailing Natal, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 94.92 percent, 89.89 percent, and 87.38 percent, respectively.

Although Covid-19 transmission in some areas has decreased, 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 rate of coronavirus transmission.