Top 10 Regencies/Cities with the Highest Percentage of Weekly Individuals Tested (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)

Anticipating the impact of the rising Omicron variant, 91 regencies/cities aggressively conducted testing, exceeding the national average weekly percentage of people tested. Data from Tuesday, March 7, 2023, shows the national average testing rate at 9.36 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, Indragiri Hulu Regency, Purwakarta Regency, Sikka Regency, and Kutai Kartanegara Regency, with ratios of 264.91 percent, 255.58 percent, 228.05 percent, 160.25 percent, and 125.92 percent, respectively.

Balikpapan City ranks first. With a population of 649,420, the weekly percentage of people tested is 264.91 percent. The latest positive rate is 0.23 percent. The positive rate in this region has decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Next is Indragiri Hulu Regency. The region's population is 453,480. In an effort to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly percentage of people tested is 255.58 percent. The positive rate in this region is recorded at 0 percent, having decreased compared to the previous week's ratio.

Furthermore, the weekly percentage of people tested in Purwakarta Regency is 228.05 percent; in Sikka Regency, with a population of 325,260, the weekly percentage of people tested is 160.25 percent; and in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, with a population of 802,710, the weekly percentage of people tested is 125.92 percent.

In anticipating the impact of Omicron in various regions, based on the national COVID-19 data recapitulation, 162 regencies/cities in Indonesia actively reported a higher weekly percentage of people tested compared to the previous period. Meanwhile, 161 other regencies/cities recorded a lower weekly percentage of people tested compared to the previous week.

Some of the regions outside Java with the highest weekly percentage of people tested include Balikpapan City, Indragiri Hulu Regency, and Sikka Regency, with weekly percentages of 264.91 percent, 255.58 percent, and 160.25 percent, respectively.

Although COVID-19 transmission has decreased in some areas, the government urges everyone to continue reducing COVID-19 transmission by consistently wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and frequently washing hands with soap and running water. Avoiding crowds and reducing mobility also contribute to suppressing the spread of the coronavirus.