Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Tuesday, February 21, 2023)

Anticipating the impact of the continuously rising Omicron variant, 150 regencies/cities aggressively conducted suspect testing, with a weekly percentage exceeding the national average. Data from Tuesday, February 21, 2023, shows the national average testing rate at 7.33 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, subsequently reported to the Ministry of Health.

The top five, starting with the highest weekly suspect testing percentage, are Mandailing Natal (84.92%), Simalungun (73.68%), Bima City (70.59%), Fakfak (54.55%), and Tuban (50.47%).

Mandailing Natal ranks first. With a population of 463,910, its weekly suspect testing percentage is recorded at 84.92 percent. The latest positive rate is 0 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Simalungun. This region has a population of 880,300. In an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 73.68 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, also down from the previous week's percentage.

Furthermore, the weekly suspect testing percentage in Bima City is recorded at 70.59 percent. Fakfak, with a population of 83,748, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 54.55 percent, and Tuban recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 50.47 percent.

In anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on a recapitulation of national COVID data, 123 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reported a higher daily weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 117 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly suspect testing percentage compared to the previous week.

Some of the regions outside Java with the highest weekly suspect testing percentage ratios include Mandailing Natal, Simalungun, and Bima City, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 84.92 percent, 73.68 percent, and 70.59 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 suppressing the spread of the coronavirus.