Indonesia's Ministry of Health Detects 943 Cases of the Delta Variant of COVID-19

The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) recorded 943 cases of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of the Covid-19 virus in Indonesia as of Tuesday, July 27, 2021. These cases were spread across 22 provinces.

Jakarta had the highest number of Delta variant cases, with 298. West Java followed with 277 cases.

Central Java and East Nusa Tenggara had 164 and 41 cases respectively. Twenty cases of the Delta variant were also identified in North Sumatra and Yogyakarta.

Seventeen Delta variant cases were detected in Banten, 16 in West Nusa Tenggara, and 13 in East Kalimantan.

In addition to Delta, 60 cases of the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant and 13 cases of the Beta (B.1.351) variant were detected in Indonesia.

Therefore, Indonesia now has a total of 1,016 cases of new coronavirus variants, from 3,650 sequenced samples.

These three new variants are considered to have a higher transmission rate than the original Wuhan, China variant. According to a study by a joint research team from the World Health Organization (WHO), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Imperial College London, the Delta variant has a 97% higher transmission rate.

The Alpha variant's transmission rate is recorded at 29%, while the Beta variant's transmission rate is 25% higher.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the public is urged to diligently adhere to the 3M health protocols: wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands with soap. In addition, the public is encouraged to avoid crowds and reduce mobility.