Covid-19 Wave Ahead of the G20

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Public transport drivers who do not wear masks wait for passengers on Jalan Samanhudi, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (25/1/2022). The Ministry of Health noted that the number of additional cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continued to increase in the last four weeks with more than 1,600 cases.

News about friends and family contracting Covid-19 has again started to grow on social media. On the other hand, compliance with the health protocols in public spaces is growing increasingly loose.

Antigen tests are still required to ravel by plane from Jakarta to Medan, North Sumatra. However, passengers are allowed to sit in adjacent seats without keeping distance. Food is also served without any restrictions and passengers are allowed to eat without a ban on talking while eating.

As a matter of fact, the Covid-19 pandemic should not be underestimated at all. Globally, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) as of 28 Jan. 2022, as many as 364 million people have been infected and 5.6 million have died. The number of daily cases across the world has also continued to increase since 26 Dec. 2021 to exceed the peak levels recorded in previous waves of infection.

Also read:

> Omicron Begins Claiming Lives

> Speed up Vaccination and Guarantee Drug Supply

As of 28 Jan. 2022, the global daily caseload reached 3.3 million, four times higher compared to the highest level recorded previously. The global death rate, although it has been declining, still remains relatively high at around 10,300 deaths per day.

In early December, five consecutive months after the second wave of Covid-19 swept through Indonesia, the number of daily cases dropped to its lowest level. However, the daily caseload has again increased dramatically. Since 26 Dec. 2021, the number of daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 has continued to grow. The daily caseload, which had dropped to 92 on 26 Dec. 2021, spiked to 174 on 2 Jan. 2022. Since then, the number of daily cases has continued to increase to reach 11,588 on 29 Jan. 2022.

KOMPAS

On Saturday (29/1/2022), the number of Covid-19 patients at the Sulianti Saroso Hospital, North Jakarta, recorded 59 patients, 41 of whom were infected with the Omicron variant.

Learning from the experience of the Delta wave, the Health Ministry has made better preparations. Since January, testing has increased as well as laboratory capacity, more hospital beds for isolation and treatment have been prepared, vaccinations have been accelerated, and travel restrictions at sea ports and airports have been tightened, not to mention that drug supplies have been increased, including through telemedicine.

Tightening the health protocols is a crucial point, especially at public facilities and places where people gather, such as public transportation, traditional markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and workplaces, including educational institutions and places of worship. Without imposing tighter health protocols, interactions in public spaces will become the source of new infections, including people staying at home.

Also read:

> Protecting Vulnerable from Omicron Urgent

> Mitigating of Threat Omicron Tsunami

Indonesia will host the G20 this year. Comparing the data on daily Covid-19 cases per 1 million population among G20 member countries as of 29 Jan. 2022, Indonesia was the second lowest after China. The top five were France, the European Union, Italy, Australia and Germany. Meanwhile, the top five with the highest mortality rates per 1 million population were the United States, Italy, Argentina, Russia, and Canada.

If Indonesia is able to suppress a third wave of Covid-19, apart from saving its citizens, it will also stand as a good example for the world in handling the pandemic. On the other hand, if the health protocols are not implemented, it is not impossible that the big event will be less than successful.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.