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

To curb the spread of COVID-19 in regions across the country, 152 regencies/cities are aggressively conducting weekly suspect testing exceeding the national average. Data as of Saturday, January 21, 2023, shows the national average for suspect testing at 7.67 percent. This suspect testing data is calculated based on the number of suspected cases and close contacts compared to the total number of people tested in each region, which is then reported to the Ministry of Health.

The top five, starting from the highest, are Mandailing Natal, Boven Digoel, Simalungun, Bima City, and Kubu Raya, with ratios of 83.27 percent, 81.08 percent, 76.94 percent, 57.78 percent, and 55.95 percent respectively.

Mandailing Natal ranks first. With a population of 463,910, its weekly suspect testing percentage is recorded at 83.27 percent. The latest positive rate is 0 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week.

Next is Boven Digoel. The region's population is 72,236. In efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 81.08 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, also down from the previous week's ratio.

Then, Simalungun, with a population of 880,300, recorded a weekly suspect testing percentage of 76.94 percent; Bima City recorded 57.78 percent; and Kubu Raya recorded 55.95 percent.

In anticipation of the Omicron impact in various regions, based on a national COVID-19 data recapitulation, 160 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reported a higher weekly suspect testing percentage than before. Meanwhile, 115 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, Boven Digoel, and Simalungun, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 83.27 percent, 81.08 percent, and 76.94 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.