A health worker carries out a swab test in Surabaya, East Java, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Moch. Asim)
BY: IWAN MARTINUS PUTUHENA, LENNY TRISTIA TAMBUN
JUNE 04, 2020
Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has set a new benchmark for Covid-19 screening of 20,000 polymerase domino effect, or PCR, tests each day, having finally reached the previous target of 10,000 tests a day last week.
On Thursday, Indonesia reported 585 brand-new validated Covid-19 cases, bringing the country’s total to 28,818
National Covid-19 Job Force spokesperson Achmad Yurianto said 13,206 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, taking the total variety of tests to 367,640 from 251,736 people.
” We should begin preparing to reach the next target of 20,000 tests each day,” Jokowi said during a minimal cabinet conference at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The president praised the job force’s success in fulfilling his previous testing target, in spite of taking more than 40 days to reach it regularly because it was announced on April 12.
Jokowi likewise asked the job force to do more aggressive tracing of Covid-19 cases utilizing advanced interaction innovation.
” New Zealand has a digital journal. South Korea utilizes mobile GPS for information tracking and monitoring. We need to establish something similar,” Jokowi said.
Cost Standardization
Job force chief Lt. Gen. Doni Monardo said on Thursday the rate of a PCR test would soon be standardized.
Doni stated the rate needs to be set so that most of the public can pay for the test, specifically workers in necessary sectors who require to take a trip.
The president has appointed Health Minister Terawan Putranto to standardize the price.
” We ought to focus on standardizing the price [for PCR testing] Lots of essential employees require PCR screening to complete their travel documents,” Doni said after going to the cabinet conference with the president.
Currently, the price for a PCR test at private medical facilities varies from Rp 2 million ($142) to Rp 2.5 million.
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