President Joko Widodo asked health authorities to hasten the implementation of the Coronavirus rapid test and include more people. In addition, Jokowi also asked to increase the number of test kits and test spots across both government and private hospitals.
“Immediately create a rapid test with greater coverage so that early detection of early indications of someone being exposed to COVID-19 can be done. I ask that equipment and tools be reproduced and placed to do tests and involve hospitals both government, SOE, Regional Government, TNI Polri Hospital ( Indonesian National Police Hospital ), private hospitals, and also research institutions that get recommendations from the Ministry of Health” said Jokowi.
Jokowi also asked for people to maintain social distancing and that all doctors and health care providers have the right protection. “ I want maximum protection for doctors, medical personnel, and staff in hospitals that serve patients infected with COVID-19, make sure that PPE is available because they are at the forefront so those health workers must be protected and not exposed to COVID- 19,” stated Jokowi.
Jokowi also asked businesses to ensure the availability and stability of prices of basic goods needed by the community. “I also ask the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and relevant ministries to immediately implement an economic incentive policy especially for business actors, more specifically MSMEs, who are affected by the economic spread of COVID-19,” he added.
Previously, a government spokesman for Coronavirus handling, Achmad Yurianto, said that his party was considering a new method of COVID-19 rapid examination, by checking the level of immunoglobulin protein in a patient’s blood specimen. The test does not have to be done in a laboratory with level II biosecurity, however, patients with COVID-19 can only be detected a week after infection. Corona tests can currently only be done at designated hospitals and the test is done through a blood test, not a swab test or throat fluid examination.
Source: CNN Indonesia & Detik
Image: Detik