Indonesia Enters Critical Phase of Covid-19 Pandemic

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Visitors stand at a closed entrance to Fatahillah Square on Sunday (15/3/2020) in the Kota Lama (Old Town) area of West Jakarta. A banner at the entrance announces the temporary closure of the historic site, which is included on the list of tourist destinations the Jakarta administration has temporarily closed for the next two weeks, along with schools and public events, as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The death rate in Indonesia from Covid-19 has reached 3.8 percent. This shows we are in a critical phase in the mitigation of the disease. Massive screening must be done.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS— Indonesia is entering a critical phase in the mitigation of the Covid-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the new coronavirus. Failure to prevent the spread of infection will trigger an explosion in cases. Therefore, in addition to reducing activities, screening to detect the virus must also be broadened by making it easier for citizens to check themselves.

According to the Health Ministry, Indonesia had checked 1,293 patients as of Sunday (15/3/2020), 117 patients had tested positive, five people died and eight people were recovered. This means the death rate from Covid-19 in Indonesia is 3.8 percent, among the highest in Southeast Asia. Malaysia has recorded 428 positive cases and no fatalities, Singapore has 212 cases without fatalities and Vietnam has 53 cases without fatalities.

Epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono, said the high mortality rate from Covid-19 in Indonesia reflected the delay in diagnosis and medical management. "This shows that Indonesia is entering a critical phase in the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Volunteers from several organizations disinfect public outdoor facilities on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat on Sunday (15/3/2020) in Central Jakarta. Public facilities, such as chairs, electricity poles, garbage bins and pedestrian bridges, are being disinfected from the Kota Lama (Old Town) area to the Arjuna Wijaya Statue near the southwest corner of National Monument Square in Central Jakarta in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The high death rate in Indonesia is also caused by a lack of screening. Therefore, large-scale screening needs to be done by involving many laboratories. "The local administration can take over the test service. The Health Ministry\'s laboratory should only be a reference and provide technical guidance," said Pandu.

Meanwhile, there has been chaos over the medical checks and treatment of people potentially infected with the new coronavirus still occurs. A number of people who have had contact with Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, who tested positive for Covid-19, were not immediately checked although they came to a referral hospital.

According to a journalist who has a history of contact with Budi Karya, some of the people that underwent medical checks were later told to go home for self-quarantine while awaiting the result of their test.

In fact, according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), all people who have a history of contact and have symptoms of illness should be tested. During the test, the patient should be isolated.

Data from Worldometers says that each country has different screening policies. Some countries are very progressive in screening, such as South Korea, which has tested 210,144 people, or 4,099 people per one million of the country\'s population. Malaysia has tested 3,132 people or 97 people per one million of population.

Covid-19 rapid-response team chairman Doni Monardo said the test would be increased and involve other institutions. He promised to expand the number of hospitals that are ready to treat coronavirus patient.

President Joko Widodo gave regional heads the authority to determine the emergency status in their respective regions in facing the outbreak of Covid-19 after consulting with the experts and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo gave regional heads the authority to determine the emergency status in their respective regions in facing the outbreak of Covid-19 after consulting with the experts and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The President also asked residents to limit activities outside the home.

The President also asked the regional administration to issue a policy on education, namely telling students to study at home.

Some state civil servants can also work from home.

Other countries

A number of countries that have adopted certain policies and steps in dealing with Covid-19 are starting to reap the results. South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are considered successful in preventing a wider spread.

The South Korean government, which was thought to have been slow to react to the spread of Covid-19 yesterday announced a reduction in the rate of patients exposed, from 500 per week to 100 per week. In the past three days, according to South Korean Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, they sent 120 Covid-19 patients each day after recovery.

In Taiwan, only 45 cases were found and one positive Covid-19 patient died. The readiness to activate the control center for communicable diseases has made the government more prepared in handling this pandemic.

Vietnam is also said to have succeeded in holding back the spread of Covid-19 after stopping various activities involving large numbers of citizens. The government, together with universities, produced test packs for the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the Covid-19. According to the Vietnam News website, the Vietnam government will produce this device with a production capacity of 10,000 per day.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, a number of regions continue to report suspected and positive cases of Covid-19. A 3-year-old child in Yogyakarta tested positive for Covid-19. However, according to Yogyakarta Governor Sultan HB X, the provincial administration has not declared an emergency status.

To speed up the control of Covid-19, his side proactively carried out the Covid-19 test at the West Java Health Laboratory in partnership with a number of universities.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said that one patient suspected of having Covid-19 in Cianjur regency had died before being diagnosed. To speed up the control of Covid-19, his side proactively carried out the Covid-19 test at the West Java Health Laboratory in partnership with a number of universities.

Kamil postponed activities involving the masses and instructed school students to study at home for two weeks since this Monday. In East Java, national exams for vocational high schools will still be held.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan cut the operational hours of all public transportation under the management of the Jakarta provincial administration, namely Transjakarta, MRT and LRT. This step was taken to ensure that residents limit their departures from their homes in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. (AFP/AL JAZEERA/MHD/AIK/ INA/PDS/EDN/FLO/DIT/ NDU/TAM/HRS/BRO/ETA/DNE)