Since the emergence of the Indonesian epidemic, 2.1 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, of whom 57,138 have died. However, as AFP notes, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher as few tests are performed on the Indonesian population of more than 270 million people for the presence of the virus .
The increase in the infection rate can be explained by the fact that on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, millions of people traveled across the country in May to meet their loved ones. Authorities have noticed new, highly contagious strains of coronavirus. “We expected an increase in the number of infections,” Indonesia’s COVID-19 Task Force spokeswoman Nadia Tarmizi said. “The rate of infection may be within two or three weeks,” she added.
There is growing concern that Indonesia’s crippled healthcare system will not be able to handle the rising tide of infection. AFP reported rumors that some overcrowded hospitals are having to send their patients home.
Hospitals in the capital Jakarta, which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak, are full of patients, including those with the Delta type. The Indonesian government, accused of inadequate handling of the outbreak, has imposed temporary travel restrictions, but is holding off on strict restrictions that have been used in other countries affected by the outbreak.
Since the beginning of the campaign 5 percent. of the population were fully vaccinated. On Saturday, the government said it had succeeded in vaccinating more than a million people in one day.
