Tri Indah Oktavianti, Jakarta – The Health Ministry is processing more requests from regional administrations to impose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) after Indonesia recorded the highest single-day increase of COVID-19 cases with 399 new cases on Sunday, bringing the nationwide tally to 4,241 confirmed cases.
Health authorities also recorded the highest increase of COVID-19 deaths on the day with 46 fatalities on Sunday, bringing the nationwide total to 373.
The ministry's disease control and prevention director general, Achmad Yurianto, said more regions proposed the PSBB to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Yurianto, who is also the government spokesperson for COVID-19, said the ministry was currently processing PSBB proposals from Tangerang municipality and regency, as well as South Tangerang in Banten.
"Hopefully the proposal could be granted by today so that the handling of COVID-19 in Greater Jakarta can be integrated," Yurianto said.
Jakarta was the first region to impose strict social restrictions under the PSBB status. The ministry granted the West Java administration's proposal of the same status for its five cities and regencies yesterday.
Jakarta remains the hardest-hit region in the country with a total of 2,044 cases and 195 deaths.
Yurianto said that authorities were conducting real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. "We have tested more than 27,000 samples using real-time PCR testing."
According to data from the ministry's website, a total of 19,452 tests had been conducted as of Saturday evening.
More than 60 laboratories across the country were ready to test samples from patients at COVID-19 referral centers throughout the country, Yurianto said, without specifying the locations of the labs.