Health experts in Indonesia have warned that hospitals in some areas are on the brink of collapse as the nation passed one million confirmed cases of coronavirus. In one case, a man died after he was turned away from 10 hospitals, including three in Jakarta, with doctors under greater strain that an any time in the pandemic. Irma Hidayana, a public health expert and co-founder of Lapor Covid-19, a volunteer group that aims to improve data.
JAKARTA: Indonesia reported 346 deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, hitting a new record for the second time this week, as hospitals come under increasing strain from the coronavirus pandemic.
December 29, 2020
People practice social distancing while buying vegetables amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Depok, near Jakarta Indonesia, on April 28, 2020.
Reuters
Experts have urged the government to implement stricter social restrictions to curb Covid-19 transmission as fatality and positivity rates continue to spike.
Stricter restrictions were essential especially ahead of the year-end holiday season that could potentially lead to a spike in new cases, Ari Fahrial Syam, dean of the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine said. All regional leaders should ban New Year’s Eve celebrations and impose night curfews to curb Covid-19 transmission, Ari said as reported by kompas.id on Sunday.