Women wearing face masks as a precaution against coronavirus outbreak walk inside a shopping mall in Tangerang, Indonesia, Nov 18, 2021. (TATAN SYUFLANA / AP)
Head nurse Tetty Rahayu in a Jakarta hospital expressed a brief relief finally.
“COVID-19 patients have drastically dropped in number here at our hospital. This month, even none has entered our ICU … Thank God,” she said about the latest situation of coronavirus pandemic at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in the capital of Indonesia.
Her account contrasted the situation in the June-July period this year when Indonesia battled a Delta virus-driven second wave of coronavirus that saw the world’s fourth most populous nation become the global epicenter of the pandemic.
The country’s June-July second wave recorded single-day confirmed cases exceeding 56,000 after Idul Fitri holidays in May, while the first huge spike came in January following the Christmas and New Year holidays, which pushed epidemiologists to cry loudly for prioritizing citizens’ health over the economy
Yet, Rahayu and many others are now worried that the upcoming Christmas and New Year holiday season will lead to a third wave of COVID-19 pandemic that has been subsiding markedly after summer.
The country’s June-July second wave recorded single-day confirmed cases exceeding 56,000 after Idul Fitri holidays in May, while the first huge spike came in January following the Christmas and New Year holidays, which pushed epidemiologists to cry loudly for prioritizing citizens’ health over the economy.
“Certainly, we will await statements from the WHO,” she told Kompas daily.On Nov 26 Health Ministry spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that even though the new virus in Africa — B.1.1.529 — has the potential of reducing vaccine efficacy, the government will continue speeding up national vaccination rollout.
Indonesia saw 137,505,205 people receive first doses by Nov 26, up 406,527 from a day before, according to the ministry; 93,105,029 others have finished second doses, 385,346 more than Nov 25.
Beside accelerating vaccination launched on Jan 13, the government will also impose stricter border controls against foreigners’ arrivals, Tarmizi said. So far, only visitors from 19 countries with related health documents are allowed into Indonesia.
ALSO READ: Indonesian COVID jabs make progress
People receive a shot of the AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination campaign at the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov 26, 2021.
(ACHMAD IBRAHIM / AP)
Nov 26 saw the total infection cases reaching 4,255,268, which was 653 more than the figure on Nov 25, and 143,796 deaths from the pandemic, up 14 from a day before.
“We really do not know what may happen within the coming months as not all people have got vaccinated,” Rahayu said.
Most Indonesians still hold their deep-rooted tradition of returning to their hometowns in large numbers during major holidays when leisure travelers crowd tourist spots and other public places.
READ MORE: Indonesia sees lowest increase in virus deaths since May 2020
Against this horrendous background, the country’s economy and public activities have now started to reopen, albeit gradually. The government last week announced that it would apply Level 3 restrictions nationwide so as to prevent possible third wave of COVID-19 infections fueled by upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays.
Restrictions rules will become effective from Dec 24 through to Jan 2, 2022 and include all regions that are in Level 1 and 2. Currently, no region is in Level 4, the highest restriction that is almost similar to “lockdown”.
While more details of the Level 3 rules have yet to come out, they normally prohibit government workers, military and police members as well as private company employees from taking leave in the Christmas-New Year period and returning to their hometowns, together with bans of parades, crowded firework parties and other restrictions on religious services, restaurants, cafes and eating places, shopping centers and malls, and cinema buildings.
Spectators watch the Superbike World Championship at Mandalika International Circuit in Mandalika, Lombok Island, Indonesia, Nov 21, 2021.
(ACHMAD IBRAHIM / AP)
Still, like in the past, many travelers may leave for their hometowns or other places before Dec 24 when special checkpoints on roads are not yet created.
Recently President Joko Jokowi Widodo stressed the urgency of implementing Level 3 restrictions nationwide despite protests from some in the public.
Addressing his Cabinet ministers, he strongly pointed to the current situation in Europe where countries have imposed new tough restrictions following rapid hikes of coronavirus infections.
He said, “Tell people about the rising cases in Europe. It is very important (that our people know) the background of the decision we are going to make. Some people reject Level 3 restrictions.”
Epidemiologist Bayu Satria Wirawan from Yogyakarta’s Gajah Mada University is optimistic, however, that a third wave that may result from upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays would be less grave than the first and second waves.
“We are optimistic. Our condition is now better,” he said while pointing to the vaccination rates now achieved by Indonesia. Wirawan stressed the urgency of boosting testing, contact tracing and treatment.
Wirawan emphasizes the urgency of accelerating vaccination for citizens 60 years of age and older, which started only six months ago after national vaccination rollout no longer lagged behind most other countries in Southeast Asia.
Health ministry officials admit the big challenge of vaccinating elder people in regions with poor transportation. Some locals find it hard to go to vaccination centers on foot, while some people were bothered about rumors.
“We have to vaccinate the elders as soon as possible, giving priority to them. If the COVID-19 pandemic rises again and many patients are hospitalized, the elders face (a greater risk) of dying,” Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said earlier.
The ministry of health said that by Nov 15, slightly more than 40 percent of the country’s total population of 272 million people got a second jab. It is slightly higher than the WHO-targeted rate of 40 percent each country needs to achieve by end-2021, the ministry said.
The government aims that more than 70 percent of the total population will get a second jab by yearend.
The government is now talking about COVID-19 possibly becoming an endemic in Indonesia in 2022 and will allocate Rp 414 trillion for next year’s national economic recovery, a slightly higher than last year’s Rp411.7 trillion.
Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia, estimates the country’s economy to grow 4.7-5.5 percent next year, higher than this year’s 3.4-4 percent projection.
“If we cannot mitigate COVID-19, do not ever hope that there will be economic growth,” President Widodo told a national conference of investment in Jakarta on Nov 24. Again, he warned about the danger of current coronavirus case hikes in Europe and other parts of the world also occurring in Indonesia.
So far, Indonesia has received 340 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the majority of which being Sinovac products from China. Indonesia needs about 426 million doses in total.
So far, vaccines have reached remote areas in the provinces with the ministry of health and state-owned vaccine maker Bio Farma jointly distributing the products. The ministry has the task of bringing vaccines up to village levels, said Bio Farma’s communication director Bambang Heriyanto.
The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.