Pribadi Wicaksono (Contributor), Yogyakarta – Following concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan asked local governments to persuade people undergoing COVID-19 self-isolation at home to move to integrated isolation centers.

"We have received reports that about 6,000 residents are self-isolating at home in Sleman, while only 234 people are in the isolation shelter. They must be moved so as not to infect others," said Luhut while monitoring the mass vaccination in Sleman, Friday, August 6.

He said transferring patients at home to shelters was important given the ferocity of the Delta variant.

"This variant is very dangerous because it attacks the respiratory system. Once the virus enters the body, the person's oxygen saturation will be below 95% and continue to drop to below 90%. If it is not treated [immediately], the death possibility rate is high," Luhut added.

According to him, many self-isolating patients died at home because no one was monitoring their oxygen saturation. "So centralized isolation shelters are the solution because facilities, doctors, and medicines are available there," he underlined.

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan also asked local governments, the National Police, and the Indonesian Military (TNI) to visit people's homes and look for COVID-19 self-isolating patients to be moved to isolation centers. Regional governments are also urged to intensify tracing and testing to meet the WHO standard.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1491679/delta-variant-luhut-appeals-to-people-not-to-self-isolate-at-hom