Gearing up for the Second Wave of COVID-19

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Police officers check motorists\' travel documents at the Weru isolation post, Cirebon Regency, West Java, Sunday (9/5/2021). Officers examined 3,751 vehicles in Cirebon during the last four days of isolation and asked 1,479 vehicles to make a U-turn.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and do what we can. These words of wisdom are important to remember in light of our current circumstances.

Various factors have signaled that there will be a likely increase in Covid-19 cases across the country. The million dollar question is: are we prepared to face it or will we ignore it?

In order to minimize mobility during the Idul Fitri holidays this year, the government has issued regulations for people travelling between cities, regencies, provinces and countries, whether by land, sea or air. Though these efforts have been able to suppress the mobility of the population, it is inevitable that mobility will increase across certain areas.

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Population mobility data recorded by google.com/covid19/mobility showed that since the travel restrictions were imposed on April 22, mobility has continued to increase in other places, such as retail and recreation, grocery stores, pharmacies, parks, public transportation centers, work places and residential areas.

Data from covid19.go.id shows that Covid-19 cases began declining in January but have been sloping upward since April.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Visitor activities at Asemka Market, West Jakarta, Saturday (8/5/2021). A week before Lebaran, residents still flock to a number of shopping centers, both modern retail and traditional markets, to shop for various needs.

Globally, Covid-19 cases have also increased. The World Health Organization reported on May 4 that the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide was at its highest level for two consecutive weeks since the start of the pandemic, reaching 5.7 million new cases per week. The Southeast Asian region saw a marked increase in both new cases and deaths.

The emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has also exacerbated the situation. Recently, another Covid-19 variant, N440K, was found to be capable of transmission up to 15 times faster than the original virus. Several other variants that are more contagious and have the risk of increasing severity are thought to have been transmitted locally in the country already. These conditions increase the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 in the country if we are careless and do not act appropriately and quickly.

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The government once aimed to optimize the implementation of public activity restrictions (PPKM) on a micro scale to the neighborhood unit level (RT). They also sought to examine people with and without Covid-19 symptoms, track 30 people who had close contact with those who tested positive for Covid-19 and impose isolation at the RT level in the case of outbreaks. However, this plan has not been realized thoroughly.

We certainly hope that the second wave of Covid-19 does not occur, but it is much more important to be prepared when it does. Like the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak and the second wave of Covid-19 in India, the situation could become even worse. Are we ready, or are we just hoping?

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.