VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The increase recorded in the COVID-19 mortality rate in Indonesia in the last three weeks is the result of the accumulation of unreported cases, the Health Ministry has said.

"Some data has been accumulated for day or weeks -- even for several months. Hence, they become less appropriate to be used as an indicator for assessing current COVID-19 conditions in Indonesia," spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations at the ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said here on Wednesday afternoon.

Ministry data shows that in the last three weeks, the death toll in Indonesia has increased, with West Java, Central Java, and East Java provinces accounting for the most fatalities.

An analysis of the ministry’s National All Record (NAR) data had found that the regional governments' report did not reflect the actual figures, expert staff at the ministry, Panji Fortuna Hadisoemarto, explained.

NAR is a big data system for laboratory records managed by the ministry to aid handling of COVID-19, he added.

Most of the 2,048 deaths reported on Tuesday were not recorded the same day, but the week before, and 10.7 percent of them were recorded as confirmed cases for more than 21 days, he said. However, the deaths have now been confirmed and included in the death toll, he informed.

For instance, Bekasi City reported 397 death cases the previous day, he said in a written statement.

Ninety-four percent of them were not recorded the same day -- 57 percent were reported in July this year and 37 percent in June, the expert staff stated. Meanwhile, the remaining 6 percent were recorded in the first week of August, he added.

He also cited the example of Central Kalimantan, saying the province reported 70 deaths of which 61 percent were recorded as active cases for more than 21 days.  (Antaranews)