Indonesia Could Face the Worst of Its Covid-19 Battle in 2021

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – An epidemiologist warned that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has not happened even as Covid-19 cases in Indonesia hit closer to 550,000.

Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said that the worst outcome of the epidemic for Indonesia could potentially happen in 2021 if the national strategy for mitigating the virus is not sorted out.

“Remember that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in Indonesia has not happened and it could happen next year if we do not make drastic improvements in our Covid-19 mitigation strategy.”

“However, the situation in 2021 will worsen or at least, depend on what we do today.”

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With Covid-19 cases in Indonesia nearing the 550,000-mark, Dicky explained that it is not the worst outcome to happen nine months after the first Covid-19 case was reported in the country.

The worst situation for the Southeast Asian nation will be when the daily Covid-19 deaths are high and when healthcare facilities can no longer accommodate sick patients.

It could also get worse if the pandemic starts to negatively impact infectious disease control or non-infectious disease control.

“The longer the coronavirus pandemic lasts, then the worse the outlook for the economic and social sectors, hence adding more pressure to the situation.”

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Dicky stressed that acting optimistically is insufficient if Indonesia seeks to take control of the situation surrounding the novel virus.

As such, he suggests that the government make use of the Covid-19 Intra-Action Review shared by the Indonesian Health Minister with the WHO to refine the national Covid-19 mitigation strategy.

“Among the priority action should be implementing the command system and cross-sector coordination between the regions and central areas.”

“There must also be a commitment to improving tracing, testing, and treatment (3T) efforts. Without proper 3T, then Covid-19 vaccinations will be ineffective.”

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