INDONESIA’S Health Ministry has confirmed seven new COVID-19 cases between May 25 and May 31 amid a fresh rise in infections in several neighbouring countries.
The cases were detected through routine testing, which recorded a weekly positivity rate of 2.05 per cent, ministry spokesperson Widyawati said, according to Metro TV.
“No fatalities have been reported among these recent cases,” she said, adding that 72 infections have been confirmed so far this year from 2,160 specimens collected.
She said the highest positivity rate this year at 3.62 per cent was recorded during epidemiological week 19, with most cases found in Jakarta, Banten, and East Java.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin (pic) on Tuesday urged the public not to panic over the recent rise in cases, noting that the variants now circulating are relatively mild.
“These are relatively non-lethal variants, so there’s no need for excessive concern. The public shouldn’t panic,” Bernama reported him saying after briefing President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace on a range of health issues, including the current COVID-19 situation.
The ministry recently issued a circular urging vigilance amid rising case numbers in the region, driven by emerging variants such as XEC, JN.1, LF.7 and NB.1.8.
“While transmission levels remain low, public health measures such as wearing masks, hand hygiene, and physical distancing are still recommended,” it said.
The ministry added that MB.1.1 remains the dominant variant in the country.
Indonesia experienced several major waves of COVID-19 between 2020 and 2022, placing severe strain on its healthcare system and triggering widespread public health restrictions. - June 4, 2025
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