Indonesia’s West Java province will expand the implementation of large-scale social distancing (PSBB) measures to all the province’s cities and 27 districts effective from 6 May.
West Java’s Governor Ridwan Kamil stated that the provincial-scale of PSBB had been approved by the Ministry of Health, adding that the social restriction was an urgent need to cut the COVID-19 transmission.
So far, PSBB has been implemented in ten districts and cities in one of the country’s most populous regions. The PSBB for the provincial level will end on 19 May.
The decline in the numbers of new cases
West Java has seen a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19 since the social distancing measures took effect on 15 April in Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi — Jakarta’s satellite cities.
Ridwan in a written statement on 29 April stated that the increase in the numbers of COVID-19 positive cases has been relatively stable, adding that the daily numbers of new cases have reached the 40s.
Three cases were confirmed last Thursday (30 April) and zero positive cases on the next day.
“Thank God, recovery cases after the PSBB have outnumbered the death rates,” the governor claimed.
As of Sunday (3 May), West Java recorded 1,054 COVID-19 cases, with 152 cases in recovery and 85 deaths, the official data showed.
PSBB must be followed by massive testings to ensure effectiveness of measures
A former Bandung mayor stressed that PSBB would be effective in lowering the numbers of COVID-19 patients if it is followed by massive testings using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods.
“PSBB will only be effective if followed by massive testings, aimed at spotting whether the transmission is the local one or imported case.
“We have imposed travel bans when 40,000 PCR testings hopefully can control COVID-19,” he added.
