Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Suspect Examinations per Week (Week of September 25, 2022)

Anticipating the impact of the continuously rising Omicron variant, 171 regencies/cities aggressively conducted suspect testing, with a weekly percentage exceeding the national average. Data from the week of September 25, 2022, shows a national average testing rate of 10.62 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, then reported to the Ministry of Health.

The top five, starting from the highest, are Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, Tasikmalaya, Pangandaran, and Tidore Islands City, with ratios of 92.71 percent, 81.96 percent, 80.48 percent, 80.41 percent, and 79.7 percent, respectively.

Simalungun ranks first. With a population of 877,710, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 92.71 percent. The latest positive rate is 5.77 percent. The positive rate in this region increased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Mandailing Natal. The population of this region is 460,360. In an effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly suspect testing percentage is 81.96 percent. The positive rate in this region is 0 percent, a decrease compared to the previous week's ratio.

Furthermore, the weekly suspect testing percentage in Tasikmalaya is 80.48 percent, in Pangandaran it is 80.41 percent, and Tidore Islands City recorded 79.7 percent.

Anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national COVID-19 data recapitulation, there are 116 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reporting a higher weekly percentage of suspect testing than before. Meanwhile, 89 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 Simalungun, Mandailing Natal, and Tidore Islands City, with weekly suspect testing percentages of 92.71 percent, 81.96 percent, and 79.7 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.