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Indonesia has taken over the Philippines as Southeast Asia’s new pandemic hotspot on Thursday (October 15), as it struggles to contain rising Covid-19 infections and new cases reaching 4,000 cases a day.
With 4,411 new cases in the past 24 hours, the count for the world’s fourth-most populous country reached 349,160 on Thursday, the highest in Southeast Asia. There have been 12,268 deaths, also the highest in the region.
The Philippines reported 2,261 new cases, bringing its total to 348,698.
Indonesia surpassed Singapore as the country with the highest number of coronavirus infections in the region on June 17, the position it held until August 6, when the Philippines took over.
It has seen faster growth in infections in recent months as large-scale social restrictions in many parts of the vast archipelago were eased starting in June, to give a respite to a pandemic-hit economy. The largest economy in Southeast Asia is on the brink of a recession.
The capital Jakarta entered a second partial lockdown on September 14 in a final attempt to contain the rapid rise in coronavirus cases.
The lifting of restrictions began on Monday (October 12).
The government has blamed the rise in cases on people’s failure to adhere to health protocols, such as wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, but critics say authorities have prioritized resurrecting the economy over tackling the pandemic in a way. adequate.
In the Philippines, with fewer Covid-19 cases showing up, the government has eased quarantine restrictions to speed up the reopening of an economy already in deep recession, despite warnings from experts that this could lead to an increase in infections.
The government is allowing commuters to feel closer together when taking public transportation, and now more businesses can operate at full capacity. Teenagers and people between the ages of 61 and 65 can now leave their homes as well.
The head of the Philippine Covid-19 task force, Carlito Gálvez, noted that the number of cases in the Philippines has decreased due to “a change in behavior” among Filipinos, referring to their constant habit of wearing masks and face shields as well. how to maintain a safe distance when exiting.
However, experts from a research team from the Philippine State University expressed concern that cases in Metro Manila, the capital region, and in seven provinces had recently skyrocketed.
“As the national government decides to further expand economic activity throughout the country, the reality of an increase in viral transmissions will not be a question of if, but of when and to what extent,” said the research team of Octa-UP in a report.
In Indonesia, the authorities have stepped up their efforts to secure vaccines to deal with the pandemic. UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has pledged to provide Indonesia with 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in London on Wednesday.
Under the latest plan, Indonesia seeks to vaccinate 160 million of its nearly 270 million people against the coronavirus by the end of next year. The priority of vaccination will be given to people aged 19 to 59 and front-line workers, such as health personnel, the police and the military, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on October 2.
State-owned vaccine producer Bio Farma is conducting final-stage clinical trials of a vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech Ltd and seeks and aims to start vaccine production in January.
Meanwhile, Jakarta-based drug producer Kalbe Farma, which is working with South Korea’s Genexine on another candidate vaccine, will carry out its second-phase efficacy and dose range trial in Indonesia next month, the director of the president of Kalbe Farmaits, Vidjongtius, to The Straits. Hours on Thursday.
But, Dr. Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, questioned the government’s rush to secure vaccines as the key solution to managing the pandemic. The vaccines should serve as “a long-term solution” and be part of a strategic plan to manage the pandemic and its impact over the next five years, he added.
In the meantime, the government must remain focused on reducing the number of cases by stepping up surveillance, including contact tracing, and changing people’s behavior, as implemented by its neighbors like Thailand and Vietnam, he said.
“The pandemic mainly affects regions of Java and large cities like Jakarta. If we can apply (the methods) well, we can reduce the number of infections, ”Dr. Pandu told ST.
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