Gov’t to Increase Hospital Beds Capacity for COVID-19 Patients in Red Zones to 40 Percent

Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee Airlangga Hartarto delivers press statement after a Limited Meeting on the Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic, Monday (14/6), in Jakarta. (Photo by: PR/Agung)

In a bid to tackle surges of COVID-19 cases following Eid al-Fitr holidays, the Government has announced it will increase capacity of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients to 40 percent, particularly in red zone regencies / cities that have seen a high bed occupancy rate.

The statement was made by Coordinating Minister of the Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto who also helms the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee, after a Limited Meeting on the Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic, Monday (14/6), in Jakarta.

“Regarding the surges in cases in several regions including in West Java, Central Java, and Jakarta, the Government has deemed it necessary to take measures. Capacity of hospitals facilities will be increased to 40 percent, particularly in red zone regencies / cities that have bed occupancy rate exceeding 60 percent,” he said.

Airlangga added that the number of inpatients beds for COVID-19 patients will also be increased at referral hospitals in cities and provinces’ capital cities around red zone regions.

“We will also provide referral hospitals in the closest city of the red zone regions, for example Kudus cases will be referred to Semarang’s hospitals, Bangkalan regency to Surabaya,” he said adding that the number of beds at Wisma Atlet emergency hospital in Jakarta has also been increased.

The number of beds, he added, has been increased by 2,000 beds to 7,937. So far, there are 5,028 patients and 2,909 remaining beds. Thus, the bed occupancy rate in Wisma Atlet emergency hospital is 63.34 percent, he said.

In addition, the Government, he added, will continue to prepare hotels as isolation facilities, particularly in Jakarta, to deploy a joint team from the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in order to accelerate vaccination program, and to speed up the genome-sequencing process from 2 weeks to only a week in tracing the potential new COVID-19 variants.

On that occasion, Airlangga also confirmed that Indonesia saw an increasing trend in COVID-19 cases. Based on a data on 13 June 2021, the trend of national active cases in Indonesia was at 5.9 percent, while the recovery rate reached 91.3 percent. (RF/UN) (RAS/EP)