Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation at 270 million people, but spread out over 17,000 islands. These include Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and Papua New Guinea. There is a huge life style gap between large, densely populated islands, and sparsely populated, disadvantaged areas. Its health authorities face a series of challenges as Indonesia overtakes India as COVID hot spot in Asia.
A New Epicenter Pushing a Health System to the Brink
CNN World certainly did not downplay the severity of the situation on July 15, 2021. That was the day after daily new cases peaked at 54,517, a new high. The media house cites The Conversation saying Indonesia ‘is now reaping the costs of not implementing a strict lock down. Nor is it investing as much as it should in efficient contact tracing systems.’
Officials worry deeply, it says, of hospital overload as more infectious Delta spreads. That’s because 90,000 of 120,000 beds are already occupied, while oxygen prices are surging. Moreover, The Conversation frets the daily cases are ‘hugely under counted because too few people are being tested’.
Background as Indonesia Overtakes India as COVID Hot Spot
The Conversation ascribes the huge surge to ‘central government resisting lock downs’. It says the authority may have overlooked the developing hospital crisis in the face of the imperative to keep the economy open.
The island nation of Indonesia is not alone as it overtakes India as COVID hot spot in Asia. Eighty percent of its population concentrates on a few large islands. Vaccines are scarce with just 5% of the populated inoculated. It’s a story unfolding in much of the developing world.
From what we can make out from photos in the media, the general population is not adhering to all the precautions that help slow the spread. It’s the same old story, all over again. The people do not appear to be fully using the power in their hands.
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Preview Image: Indonesia Daily New Cases
