Unwilling to be caught off guard and continuously striving to curb the spread of Covid-19, currently 162 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing percentages above the national average. Data as of Thursday, September 22, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 10.61 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, are Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, Tidore Islands City, Pangandaran, and Tasikmalaya, with ratios of 92.37 percent, 82.55 percent, 81 percent, 79.63 percent, and 76.45 percent respectively.
Simalungun is ranked first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage here is recorded at 92.37 percent. The latest positive rate is 5.09 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's percentage.
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 82.55 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, having decreased compared to the previous week's percentage.
Furthermore, Tidore Islands City recorded 81 percent testing, Pangandaran recorded 79.63 percent, and Tasikmalaya recorded 76.45 percent for the weekly suspect testing percentage.
Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national Covid data recapitulation, there are 177 regencies/cities in Indonesia that actively report a higher weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 171 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 percentage ratios include Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and Tidore Islands City, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 92.37 percent, 82.55 percent, and 81 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.