VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Some 30,098 medical and non-medical volunteers have joined the forces to stem the spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by a new type of coronavirus, according to the COVID-19 task force volunteer coordinator Andre Rahadian.

"We are cooperating with various social and youth organizations, so that despite over 30 thousand having registered, the number of those working on the field reaches more than 100 thousand," he stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Rahadian noted that out of the 30,098 volunteers, 7,115 were medical volunteers and 22,983 were non-medical volunteers spread across Indonesia, though 70 percent are on duty in Java, the epicenter of the spread of COVID-19.

"As many as 80 percent of them are 40 years of age and under, so they are relatively safe from contracting COVID-19 and can work optimally," he stated.

In addition to volunteers under the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 and coordinated by community and youth organizations, Rahadian pointed out that 15 thousand student volunteers had registered through the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Volunteers in the medical field comprise doctors, midwives, and nurses, whereas those in the non-medical sector are engaged in logistics and general administration.

"Non-medical volunteers also play a role in collecting data on people under monitoring, patients under surveillance, and communities affected by COVID-19 economically, as well as provide counseling to the community," Rahadian expounded.

Indonesia’s coronavirus case count has risen to 18,496 as of Tuesday, with 4,467 people recovering from the virus and 1,221 individuals succumbing to the disease, Achmad Yurianto, the government's spokesperson for COVID-19 response, confirmed.

"Let us take a broad look. (We can see) that transmission is ongoing," Yurianto stated at a press conference held by the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Response on Tuesday at Graha BNPB here.

Since Monday noon, Indonesia recorded 486 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 18,496 cases. Coronavirus infections have been reported across 390 districts and cities in 34 provinces in Indonesia.

In the meantime, the number of people recovering from the novel coronavirus disease has spiked by 143 on Tuesday, Yurianto remarked.

Furthermore, the task force has recorded 30 new deaths, thereby raising the death toll to 1,221.

According to Yurianto, the government had tested 202,936 specimens using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and molecular rapid tests (TCM). (ANTARA)