Jakarta (ANTARA) - Ten cities and districts in East Java province have lowered their activity restrictions enforcement (PPKM) status to Level 1 after reporting a significant reduction in the COVID-19 infection rate.
Currently, 26 cities and districts in the province have enforced Level 2 PPKM, while two regions have enforced Level 3 PPKM, the highest level in the province, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said here on Saturday.
"Some 10 cities and districts in East Java have been declared to be at Level 1 PPKM, 26 cities and districts are at Level 2 PPKM, and two regions have remained at Level 3 PPKM," Parawansa informed.
The ten cities and districts that have lowered their PPKM status to Level 1 are Situbondo, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Pamekasan, Madiun, Lamongan, Surabaya, Gresik, Bondowoso, and Banyuwangi, she said.
The 26 cities and districts that currently remain at level 2 PPKM include Probolinggo, Batu, Kediri, Malang, Bojonegoro, and Sumenep, she added.
The two regions that have recorded the highest PPKM status of Level 3 in the province are Blitar city and Bangkalan district, she added.
Despite the improvement in the PPKM status in several regions and the declining trend of COVID-19 infections in the East Java region, residents are expected to continue following the health protocol to prevent another infection wave, the governor said.
"The PPKM status improvement means the COVID-19 situation in the province is improving. Despite this, we should not be complacent, and all residents should continue adhering to health protocols and promoting vaccinations," Parawansa added.
An improvement in the COVID-19 infection rate in the province has also been indicated by the increasing number of cities and districts labeled as "yellow zones" -- denoting a low risk of infection, she said. Currently, this situation has been recorded in 37 regions, she added.
Only Blitar city remains in the "orange zone" -- denoting a moderate-risk area, the governor said.
"Only Blitar city currently remains in the 'orange zone'. We hope our recent coordination with the Blitar authority will help the city to improve its COVID-19 handling," Parawansa stated.
According to the East Java COVID-19 database website, the province has recorded a total of 392,912 positive cases, with 360,071 recoveries and 29,227 deaths as of Saturday (September 18, 2021).(*)
