Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Monday, March 27, 2023)

To curb the spread of COVID-19 in regions, 147 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing exceeding the national average. Data from Monday, March 27, 2023, shows the national average at 8.12 percent. This suspect testing data is calculated based on the number of suspected individuals and close contacts compared to the total number of people tested in each region, then reported to the Ministry of Health.

The top five, starting from the highest, are Bima City, Mandailing Natal, Bima, Kayong Utara, and Morowali, with percentages of 71.64 percent, 69.81 percent, 65.88 percent, 62.5 percent, and 61.11 percent, respectively.

Bima City ranks first. With a population of 191,790, its weekly suspect testing percentage is 71.64 percent. The latest positive rate is five percent. The positive rate in this region increased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Mandailing Natal. This region has a population of 463,910. In efforts to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 69.81 percent. The positive rate in this region is 0 percent, a decrease from the previous week's percentage.

Following this, Bima shows 65.88 percent testing; Kayong Utara, with a population of 118,380, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 62.5 percent; and Morowali, with a population of 128,390, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 61.11 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national COVID-19 data recapitulation, 117 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reported a higher weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 87 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly suspect testing percentage compared to the previous week.

Regions outside Java with the highest weekly suspect testing percentages include Bima City, Mandailing Natal, and Bima, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 71.64 percent, 69.81 percent, and 65.88 percent, respectively.

Although COVID-19 transmission has decreased in some areas, the government urges everyone to continue 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.