"On a national scale, a trend of confirmed COVID-19 cases began to increase a week after the Eid al-Fitr festivity, although since the Christmas and New Year holidays, (the number of COVID-19 cases) had been flattening," Harbuwono noted at a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX monitored virtually from Jakarta on Thursday.
The minister remarked that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed by 38.08 percent in the past week.
The COVID-19 mortality rate rose 2.73 percent, albeit below the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 2.05 percent.
The number of specimens examined increased 89.98 percent. However, the number of patients treated at hospitals for COVID-19 declined 0.72 percent, he remarked.
The peak of COVID-19 cases due to the mobility of people during the Eid al-Fitr holidays will be apparent in six to seven weeks based on the evaluation and analysis of data obtained during the Islamic New Year, Christmas, and New Year 2021 holidays, he remarked.
"While looking at a spike in cases according to its pattern, it will be visible this week from May 21 to May 28, 2021, and it will reach its peak in six to seven weeks or mid-June 2021.
The Health Ministry has forecast the peak of COVID-19 cases in the aftermath of Eid al-Fitr to not be as high as that of the previous holidays.
"We have roughly pegged it at around 50 percent. Perhaps, it will not be as high as that recorded during the previous Christmas and New Year holidays since the government has earlier taken precautionary measures," she stated.