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JAKARTA: The number of active COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is trending downward despite daily infections continuing to increase, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday (September 1).
He said the percentage of active COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is now 23.6 percent, down from 70 percent at the start of the outbreak in March.
The president’s comments came amid growing concern that six months after the first cases were reported, the spread of the deadly disease may not be under control in Indonesia.
With 177,571 cases on Tuesday, it has one of the highest numbers of infections in Southeast Asia.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, wearing a protective mask, greets Indonesian members of parliament upon arrival before delivering a speech ahead of 75th Independence Day, at the Parliament building in Jakarta. (Photo: Reuters)
But Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, said people should be aware that recoveries have continued to grow as well.
“It is better than the world average,” Widodo told foreign media reporters at the Bogor presidential palace.
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Indonesia has a total of 128,057 recoveries, constituting about 72 percent of the total number of cases.
On Tuesday, the country reported 88 deaths, bringing the total deaths to 7,505.
Mr. Widodo noted that Indonesia’s death rate of 4.2 percent is higher than the world rate of 3.3 percent.
He said tests in Indonesia are still lagging behind due to limited human capacity and that he is trying to catch up by training more people.
He also said that the number of cases is expected to peak this month, after which it will drop.
The epicenters of the outbreak are in the capital, Jakarta, and in the province of East Java.
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Hospitals in much of the archipelago are feared unable to cope with the growing number of infections.
On Monday, the Indonesian Medical Association said 100 doctors have died from COVID-19 since the country recorded its first COVID-19 cases in March.
The president expressed his condolences during the meeting with journalists.
“I want to send my condolences on the death of many medical workers in Indonesia,” he said.
He added that he appreciates the contribution of healthcare employees who have continued to work hard despite burnout.
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