Covid-19 in Indonesia

Covid-19 in Indonesia

            The coronavirus pandemic in the current is a real threat to the existence of the human race, with over 900,000 individuals infected and 45,600 deaths as of the initial week of April (World Health Organization, 2020). The pandemic that has its epicenter in Wuhan, China, necessitates stringent measures imposed on citizens of affected countries in a bid to curb the spread. Indonesia is one of the countries ravaged by the pandemic, which forms the basis of this study where discussion on the incidence and response to the disease will occur. Additionally, factors affecting the answer to the infection, myths, and misconceptions surrounding the condition.

Incidence and responses of covid-19 in Indonesia

World Health Organization (2020) outlines that Indonesia has more than 1790 covid-19 cases with initial cases detected on 3 February. As of the first week of April, there were 170 confirmed deaths attributed to the condition. Following the steady rise in cases in March, the country instituted a fast response team for emergency screening for the virus (Indonesia NL., 2020). Additionally, there were measures to fast track contact tracing associated with victims of the condition. Adoption of Social distancing occured in the country with tourist attraction centers shut as well as large gatherings prohibited. The state also denied entry into ports individuals known to have visited Italy, China, Spain, United Kingdom, Iran, and France.

Factors affecting the effectiveness of the response

Indonesia is mostly a tourism-oriented population with a culture of travel. Measures against trips in and out of the country have led to frustration among the enthusiasts. Singapore is one of the hotspots for tourists from the country that has been ravaged by the pandemic necessitating the country to ban travel into the affected destination. Social containment has been an uphill task in the country with calls from the health authorities to practice social distancing proving futile. In a bid to curtail movement and aggregation, there have been calls for a lockdown that is in consideration. However, this option is a daunting task to the authorities since the economic consequences are far much higher, taking into account the majority of the population is dependent on daily wages.

Myths of covid-19 in Indonesia

although the pandemic is a threat to the existence of the human race, dissemination of wrong information about the disease sets back the efforts by the health authorities. For instance, in a social media posting on a website, a user suggested that that alcohol kills the coronavirus (Wisanka, 2020). These facts have, however, been debunked by authorities as one of the myths surrounding the condition. World Health Organization (2020) posits that coronavirus is neither curable, nor does it have a vaccine that kills the virus affecting the world as of now.

Response

The pandemic has severely ravaged Italy and Spain in recent weeks, with both countries recording more than 700 deaths daily in a fortnight. The dire situation has necessitated the two countries to institute lockdowns with the only provision of essential services allowed (Tabari, Amini, Moghadami, & Moosavi, 2020) The two countries have also increased testing capabilities to over 300 individual in a day. Although the United States has recorded increased incidences in coronavirus cases, only New York, which is the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, has instituted a lockdown (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The stark differences are related to the fact that other regions have few cases as compared to the state of New York.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).       Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Indonesia NL. (2020). Additional Measures of the Indonesian Government in Relation to Covid  19 Response. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from https://en.indonesia.nl/updates/covid 19/additional-measures-of-the-Indonesian-government-in-relation-to-covid-19-response.

Tabari, P., Amini, M., Moghadami, M., & Moosavi, M. (2020). Nations’ Responses and Control   Measures in Confrontation with the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak: A        Rapid Review.

Wisanka, S. (2020). Coronavirus Facts and Myths that You Must Know |. Retrieved 3 April 2020,            from:https://www.indonesiagreenfurniture.com/coronavirus-facts-and-myths-that-you       must-know/

World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from            https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.