Yesterday (May 9), Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported growth across all sectors in Indonesia. It’s a signal of advancing recovery. The good news should further spread the mood of optimism, but there is still a lingering worry. Will we see another massive, post-Eid COVID-19 wave?
The Ministry of Health’s Vaccination Spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that the Ministry would continue to monitor the development of COVID cases following the largest Eid-exodus Indonesia has seen since the pandemic first broke. “Usually, we would see (post migration COVID transmission) within 7-10 days after people return home,” She told Tempo on May 8.
Nadia spoke of the importance of testing and tracing, yet the Government has stopped making it mandatory for travel. It’s the most absurd statement she has given yet.
Citing Indonesia’s case trend has become a moot point because the testing number has been too low to guarantee an accurate representation of the current state of COVID-19 transmission. We rely mainly on the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) report. The BOR figure is the best indicator we have of detecting upcoming stress in the healthcare system.
So far, we do not see any concerning development based on the BOR numbers of crucial provinces. Jakarta maintains a BOR of one percent, and so does East and Central Java. We should begin worrying when the BOR number rises in said provinces. Unfortunately, we do not have the latest BOR number of West Java.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health has also addressed the rise in acute hepatitis cases among children. The Ministry seems to believe that the disease has been food-related. The World Health Organization is still monitoring this latest spreading disease. There is no consensus on what is causing it to spread. Minister of Health Budi Sadikin has told the press that Indonesia is working with the United Kingdom and the United States in researching this new disease.
For now, what we can say is that the next month is key to gauging the pace of Indonesia’s economic advancements. Should there be no spike in new COVID-19 cases or any meaningful new wave, the Government would undoubtedly emphasize that fact to strengthen the optimistic mood. The public would gain more confidence, and the Government may even declare Indonesia’s COVID-19 endemic status by then.
