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Anies warns Jakarta could see 20,000 active cases by November
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s the Jakarta administration extends large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) for another two weeks, Governor Anies Baswedan has claimed that without the policy, the capital city would see 20,000 active COVID-19 cases by November.
"Without stricter restrictions and with the current testing rate, we estimate that Jakarta would see 2,000 daily new cases by mid-October and 20,000 active cases by November," Anies said in a statement on Thursday, as reported by kompas.com.
Anies previously said the capital had seen a decline in active cases since it reimposed strict PSBB on Sept. 14.
In the first 12 days of September, he said, Jakarta had recorded a 49 percent spike in new COVID-19 cases – 3,864 additional patients.
In the 12 days after the implementation of strict PSBB, the city managed to bring down the growth to 12 percent – 1,453 additional cases.
"The fatality rate has also decreased to 2.5 percent. However, despite the decline, we still saw a high number of new cases [in the capital]," he said.
With the extension, strict PSBB will last until Oct. 11.
Anies said flattening the curve was not the final goal of PSBB. The policy ultimately sought to end COVID-19 transmission altogether, he added.
He expressed hope that Jakartans would limit activities outside of their homes to curb the spread of the virus.
"We need to work together to cut off chains of COVID-19 transmission. The government needs to improve its testing, tracing and treatment, while residents need to stay at home as much as possible and follow health protocols," the governor said.
In addition to the rising trend of new confirmed cases, Jakarta, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, has also seen clusters in novel places.
Epidemiologist Dewi Nur Aisyah, a member of the national COVID-19 task force’s expert team, said authorities had recently found new transmission clusters.
"Some new types of COVID-19 clusters have appeared from places with high transmission risk, such as hotels, Islamic boarding schools, nightclubs and wedding receptions," Dewi said on Wednesday.
The task force found three new cases from the Sari Pacific hotel in Central Jakarta, 20 new cases from two wedding receptions in Kebon Pala and Penggilingan and four new cases from Minhajjurrosyidin Islamic Boarding School in Cipayung.
Dewi added that authorities had found six new cases from nightclubs and five new cases from a cooking competition celebrating Indonesia's Independence Day in August. (nal)
