VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Wiku Adisasmito drew attention to a continued decline in the percentage of deaths among COVID-19 positive patients in recent months.

Adisasmito delivered the statement at a virtual press conference from the Office of the President, Jakarta, on Friday.

"In March, the percentage of deaths reached a maximum of 9.34 percent, with an average rate of 4.89 percent," he pointed out.

Adisasmito stated that in April, the percentage had increased to a maximum of 9.5 percent and an average of 8.64 percent.

However, since May, the figure gradually dipped, reaching a maximum of 7.66 percent and an average of 6.68 percent.

For June, the maximum percentage of deaths touched 6.09 percent and an average of 5.56 percent. In July, the maximum percentage was recorded at 5.08 percent, with an average of 4.86 percent.

Adisasmito noted that the average mortality rate in the world had reached 4.2 percent.

"Hence, to this end, Indonesia is approaching the world average," he stated.

Adisasmito attributed the decrease in the percentage of deaths to better management of patient cases from time to time.

"The number of isolation rooms increased to 23,519, the number of isolation beds rose to 188,510, and the number of health workers with higher knowledge and accustomed to handling COVID-19 patients also improved. The number of referral hospitals also rose to 839 hospitals in Indonesia," he explained.

Until Thursday (July 23), Indonesia had recorded a total of 93,657 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 52,164 patients that had recovered and 4,576 patients that had succumbed to the novel coronavirus disease.

In the meantime, the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) highlighted the trend of some 70 percent of children dying of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) being below six years of age.

"This is the COVID-19 data on children collected until July 20, 2020," IDAI Chairperson Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan noted here on Thursday.

During the period from March 17 to July 20, a total of 2,712 Indonesian children had tested positive for COVID-19, while 51 of them had succumbed to the disease.

Moreover, the number of children suspected of having contracted COVID-19 reached 7,633, of which 290 had died. (ANTARA)