Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Friday, August 19, 2022)

Unwilling to be caught off guard and continuously striving to curb the spread of Covid-19, currently 170 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing percentages above the national average. Data as of Friday, August 19, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 8.09 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 with the highest weekly suspect testing percentage, are Simalungun (87.33%), Mandailing Natal (80.18%), Pangandaran (78.41%), Pringsewu (65.56%), and Tasikmalaya (60.78%).

Simalungun is ranked first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage here is recorded at 87.33 percent. The latest positive rate is 4.17 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 80.18 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0.45 percent, or higher than the previous week's percentage.

Then, Pangandaran, with a population of 407,350, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 78.41 percent; Pringsewu recorded 65.56 percent; and Tasikmalaya recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 60.78 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the recapitulation of national Covid data, there are 207 regencies/cities in Indonesia that actively report a higher daily weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 152 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 ratio include Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and Pringsewu, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 87.33 percent, 80.18 percent, and 65.56 percent, respectively.

Although Covid-19 transmission has decreased in some areas, the government urges everyone to continue to help 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 curbing the spread of the coronavirus.