Regions Ignore Massive PCR Tests

Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO

A man undergoes a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or swab test at Moh Ridwan Meuraksa Hospital, East Jakarta, Tuesday (16/6/2020). The mobile testing will serve people who have registered through the Covid-19 monitoring app and the results will be sent to their respective mobile phones.

The number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in several regions in Indonesia is still far from the World Health Organization standard. In fact, there is budget, infrastructure and resources available for the massive PCR testing.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Entering nine months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of examinations using the PCR method in Indonesia is still one of the lowest in the world. A Kompas investigation in a number of regions found that local governments had ignored the implementation of massive PCR tests to detect cases.