President Jokowi Call For Massive Testing, Tracing, in Hardest-Hit Provinces

President Jokowi gives directives during limited meeting on COVID-19 handling, Monday (13/7). (Photo: Agung/PR)

Mass 3T (testing, tracing, and treatment) of COVID-19 must be carried out in several provinces hardest-hit by the disease including East Java, capital Jakarta, West Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, North Sumatra, and Papua, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

“Do make sure that the 3T is carried out in those provinces,” the President said during a Limited Meeting on the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, Monday (13/7).

The President also addressed the issue of a significant rise in the number of corona cases nationwide which stood at 1,681 cases per day on Wednesday (8/7) which then rose to 2,500 cases the next day following the finding of a new infection cluster at the Army Candidate School (Secapa-AD) in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

For this reason, the President said he had asked for additional PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests by increasing the number of laboratories and the PCR mobile labs.

“I hope the target of 30 thousand tests per day, massive testing and treatment for those infected can be achieved,” the President said, adding that improving hospital health facilities, especially laboratories, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), medicines, ventilators and  isolation rooms is still needed in those provinces.

“Ministry of Health could ask Minister of Public Works and Public Housing to immediately provide those facilities,” said the President.

The Head of State also pointed out the need to control border areas and cross-border travel and transportation.

“The Government should pay a greater attention to this issue since the number of imported cases is also on the rise,” he said. (TGH / EN)

Translated by: Estu Widyamurti
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas