Jakarta – In light of the rising COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Tangerang, Banten, Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany is looking at providing hotel rooms for self-isolating asymptomatic carriers.
On Monday, the South Tangerang COVID-19 task force reported 19 new patients, bringing the total of people receiving hospital treatment to 331.
Several COVID-19 hospitals in the city have started to run out of beds, with a report from the South Tangerang Health Agency saying that 22 referral hospitals are now at 80 percent occupancy, well above the 60 percent bed occupancy rate suggested by the World Health Organization.
The municipal administration has been advised to ready strategies ahead of the South Tangerang mayoral election on Dec. 9, after which a spike in new COVID-19 infections has been projected for the city.
Mayor Airin said that her administration would make the best use of the South Tangerang Rumah Lawan COVID-19 (COVID-19 isolation center) to accommodate asymptomatic carriers.
Earlier in mid-October, the mayor had suggested using hotels as an alternative facility for asymptomatic carriers to self-isolate. However, the plan was not followed up because she had deemed that Rumah Lawan COVID-19 still had space.
"Hotels are willing to accommodate [asymptomatic carriers] if they are asked to," Airin added.
Gusri Efendi, who chairs the South Tangerang branch of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said that the government had yet to make a formal request regarding a predetermined list of hotels to be used as additional isolation facilities. He added that 19 hotels in South Tangerang, with a combined total of over 2,000 rooms, were on the list.
Gusri said that the hotels must pass the government's verification test prior to their approved use as isolation facilities.
"Not every hotel that passes the verification test will automatically be appointed as an isolation facility. At the end of the day, it depends on the hotel management's willingness to turn their establishment into one," he said as quoted by kompas.id on Monday.
Gusri noted, however, that current occupancy rates at hotels were generally over 60 percent.
Separately, Banten branch chairman Budi Suhendar of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) said that the government should find new ways to increase bed capacity amid growing concerns over the increasing COVID-19 death toll in South Tangerang.
South Tangerang presently has a 4 percent case fatality rate (CFR), a full percentage point higher than the nation's average CFR of 3 percent. The city has seen an increase in COVID-19 deaths over last week, totaling 117 so far.
"The number of cases and deaths could increase, especially after the South Tangerang regional election, if no precautions are taken. It is important for the government to keep expanding treatment rooms, facilities and human resources at hospitals," said Budi. (dpk)