With an infection rate of COVID-19 that has nearly quadrupled since the beginning of the month. One of the highest mortality rates in the world, Indonesia’s response to the pandemic has led to doomsday predictions from infectious disease experts, epidemiologists and data handlers abroad.
The original rejection of the issue by President Joko Widodo and his new opposition to a blanket lockdown has also ignited a heated debate on social media. With its critics sharing the # LockdownOrDie hashtag, much of people support it. For instance, some of health experts and politicians.
The acts of the president have increased fears that the 268 million-strong archipelagic nation is actively seeking herd immunity without a vaccine.
Much of the material in te documents corroborates. It already published by the task force, according to the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency and the president’s office. But, it is streamlined and more comprehensible. According to the government, the information also gives insight into the politics and philosophy behind the government’s slow and piecemeal response.
President Widodo continues to reject blanket lockdown. He says that it would hurt the poor too much. One in ten people earn less than a dollar a day, it will put them into the worse condition.
Currently, the country has 7,135 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 616 people have died so far.
Due to this condition, it is as same as an old Indonesian metaphor about the life lessons. “If you don’t put in a lockdown, 10% of the population may die from coronavirus”. But, if you do, people will die of malnutrition. Indonesia can’t enforce a very long lockdown, so we know it could be years until a vaccine exists.
