PALANGKA RAYA – BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP. The Covid-19 Handling Task Force Team of Central Kalimantan delivered a press release on the progress of Covid-19 handling on Friday (1/1/2021). The Task Force Team said that the government has prepared various steps to anticipate the transmission of Covid-19 in 2021. This is due to the trend of positive cases of Covid-19 has not yet shown a significant decline.

The spokesperson for Covid-19 Handling Task Force Prof. Wiku Adisasmito said the first step is to further tighten the discipline of health protocols to ensure that the public is fully compliant. This discipline will continue to be enforced until the entire community will receive the vaccine and achieve herd immunity (community immunity).

Second, the 3T namely testing, tracing and treatment continues to be strengthened. It is the government’s effort to ensure that those confirmed positive as well as the close contacts can be detected more quickly and also receive standard health care.

The third step is to restrict people’s mobility if the positive cases still get high. It is necessary to know that uncontrolled mobility during this pandemic has the potential to increase the transmission rate. Therefore, it is hoped that the mobility restriction can reduce the transmission. Restricting or relaxing the socio-economic activities in an area is an aspect that must be done in line with the fluctuation of Covid-19 cases.

The Covid-19 Handling Task Force Team of Central Kalimantan conveyed the accumulated amount of data as of today, Friday (1/1/2021) that is the number of patients with positive confirmation of Covid-19 in Central Kalimantan has increased by 95 with a total of 9,779 cases. 130 patients were just recovered with a total of 7,618. While the total number of patients died, as many as 269 people, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 2.8%.

In the press release, the data of Covid-19 in 13 regencies and 1 municipality was presented. There was an addition of 95 people for confirmed cases: 20 people in Palangka Raya, 2 people in Katingan, 14 people in East Kotawaringin, 26 people in West Kotawaringin, 3 people in Pulang Pisau, 2 people in Kapuas, 4 people in South Barito, and 24 people in East Barito. It has increased from 9,684 people to 9,779 people. There were 130 patients recovered: 10 people in Palangka Raya, 49 people in East Kotawaringin, 4 people in West Kotawaringin, 10 people in Seruyan, 7 people in Pulang Pisau, 2 people in Kapuas, 2 people in Gunung Mas, 44 people in East Barito, and 2 people in Murung Raya. It increased from 7,488 people to 7,618 people. The number of suspected cases decreased by 65 people; from 451 people to 386 people. While probable case has no addition; it’s still 52 people. There was a decrease of 35 people in treatment; from 1,927 people to 1,892 people.

One of the tough challenges faced by government in handling Covid-19 pandemic during 2020 is the change of behavior because basically Covid-19 is a disease that is closely related to people’s behavior. The government has created a monitoring system called Behavior Change Against Covid-19 to suppress transmission and control Covid-19 pandemic.

The transmission of Covid-19 is influenced by discipline in carrying out health protocols. It is well understood that changing a behavior and adapting to another is not easy, but it is still possible.

In 2021, government hopes people will continue to keep their enthusiasm and optimism because they can become turning points in handling the pandemic and economy recovery if people keep following all policies dealing with Covid-19 pandemic. (rik/translated by Feb)