Seven Provinces Still Record Record Daily Increases

On Monday, August 2nd, the Ministry of Health recorded seven provinces reporting record daily increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases. These regions are Yogyakarta Special Region, West Sumatra, Riau Islands, Bengkulu, Southeast Sulawesi, Maluku, and North Maluku. These seven provinces, based on yesterday's data, showed an average increase of 498.43 patients. Despite the increase, the trend of COVID-19 case additions in these regions is beginning to decline.

Yogyakarta Special Region broke its record with the highest number at 1,566 patients. Percentage-wise, the growth in confirmed cases here was only 20.18 percent. Previously, the highest growth rate was recorded on Monday, April 13th. At that time, the number of confirmed cases increased from one patient to 16 patients.

The latest data for Yogyakarta Special Region on current COVID-19 infections by age group, as of Saturday, July 24th, shows the largest number coming from the adult group (31-45 years old) at 24,520 people. This is followed by early seniors (46-59 years old) at 22,890 people, young adults (19-30 years old) at 22,490 people, the elderly (over 60 years old) at 15,040 people, and children (6-18 years old) at 12,790 people. The smallest number is from the toddler group (0-5 years old) at 4,235 people.

The weekly bed occupancy rate (BOR) in this region is also improving. Today, the BOR is recorded at 83.9 percent, unchanged from the previous day. This current condition has drastically changed compared to 14 days ago, when it reached its highest point at 88.1 percent. A bed occupancy rate between 70-90 percent is considered moderate by the Ministry of Health. This means the situation requires immediate attention and technical steps should be prepared to anticipate a surge.

This situation is due to an increase in infections in the last week. According to the Ministry of Health's data, weekly confirmed positive cases per 100,000 population increased from 319.1 cases to 382.9 cases. In terms of infrastructure, the local government continues to work on improving healthcare facilities, considering the increasing trend of pandemic infections in recent weeks.

West Sumatra also broke its record with the highest number at 982 patients. Percentage-wise, the growth in confirmed cases here was only 36.77 percent. Previously, the highest growth rate was recorded on Tuesday, May 19th. At that time, the number of confirmed cases increased from one patient to 11 patients.

The current condition in West Sumatra shows that, according to age group data from Saturday, July 24th, the largest number of COVID-19 sufferers comes from the adult group (31-45 years old) at 16,900 people. Next is the young adult group (19-30 years old) at 15,880 people, early seniors (46-59 years old) at 13,550 people, children (6-18 years old) at 7,829 people, and the elderly (over 60 years old) at 7,730 people. The smallest number is from the toddler group (0-5 years old) at 1,827 people.

The trend of COVID-19 infections in this province, over the past eight days, shows a decline. Compared to the previous week, the rate of transmission is still occurring but has decreased. This indicates that social restrictions in this region have been able to suppress the spread of COVID-19.

| Province-alias | Testing (% Positivity Rate/week) | Treatment (BOR/week) |
|---|---|---|
| Bengkulu | 63.0 | 53.1 |
| DI Yogyakarta | 44.0 | 83.9 |
| Maluku | 37.9 | 32.3 |
| North Maluku | 29.6 | 43.0 |
| Southeast Sulawesi | 54.4 | 58.6 |
| West Sumatra | 31.2 | 77.2 |

This condition can be illustrated by the province's positivity rate, which is among the top 15 highest nationally. A weekly comparison shows a downward trend in the last week. Previously, this region recorded a higher positivity rate; the latest value is below the national average.