Based on national Covid-19 data recapitulation, 72 regencies/cities aggressively conducted weekly testing exceeding the national average. Data as of Saturday, October 8, 2022, shows the national average testing rate at 15.1 percent. This testing achievement data is calculated based on the number of people tested compared to each region's weekly target, subsequently reported to the Ministry of Health.
The top five, starting from the highest, are Balikpapan City, Badung Regency, Surakarta City, Mimika Regency, and Semarang City, with ratios of 373.45 percent, 332.14 percent, 259.65 percent, 231.7 percent, and 166.06 percent, respectively.
Balikpapan City ranks first. With a population of 646,020, its weekly testing percentage is recorded at 373.45 percent. The latest positive rate is 2.37 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.
Next is Badung Regency. The region's population is recorded at 727,950. In efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the weekly testing percentage reached 332.14 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 2.61 percent, also down from the previous week's percentage.
Then, Surakarta City, with a population of 519,800, recorded a weekly testing percentage of 259.65 percent; Mimika Regency recorded 231.7 percent; and Semarang City recorded 166.06 percent.
In anticipation of the Omicron variant's impact in various regions, based on national Covid-19 data recapitulation, 154 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reported higher weekly testing percentages than before. Meanwhile, 197 other regencies/cities recorded lower weekly testing percentages compared to the previous week.
Some of the regions outside Java with the highest weekly testing percentages include Balikpapan City, Badung Regency, and Mimika Regency, with percentages of 373.45 percent, 332.14 percent, and 231.7 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.