Indonesia is now the epicenter of the covid-19 crisis in Asia. What you should know

(CNN) – For much of the past year, it appeared that Indonesia had managed to keep its Covid-19 outbreak under control.

Now the island nation, home to some 270 million people, has become the new epicenter of the pandemic in Asia, with more cases and deaths per day than India, which suffered a severe blow, while a devastating second wave sweeps the archipelago.

With tens of thousands of infections being recorded daily, experts say the country’s healthcare system could be on the brink of disaster if the spread of the virus continues unabated.

Here’s what you need to know about the crisis in Indonesia.

How did covid-19 cases and deaths increase in Indonesia?

Infections began to rise in late May, after the Eid Al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Islamic fasting month, and soon grew exponentially.

According to health experts, the crisis is being fueled by the spread of the most infectious delta variant, first identified in India.

“Every day we see this delta variant bringing Indonesia closer to the brink of a covid-19 catastrophe,” said Jan Gelfand, head of the Indonesian delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC ), in June.

Experts have blamed the government for its slow response in failing to implement strict lockdowns last year after the cases were first reported in the country, and its alleged lack of investment in efficient test and trace systems.

As of July 20, Indonesia had recorded nearly 3 million total cases and more than 76,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. But experts fear the figures underestimate the actual spread in the country due to a lack of evidence.

A report from the World Health Organization (who) in July said that inadequate testing remains a problem, with more than 50% of provinces reporting a testing rate below the recommended benchmark.

“Without proper testing, many provinces cannot isolate confirmed cases in time,” the report says.

Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told CNN in early July that authorities did not initially realize how quickly the virus had spread during this latest wave.

The islands of Java and Bali were placed under emergency confinement on July 3 along with other cities in the archipelago. Domestic travel is not restricted, although it depends on a negative covid-19 test.

On July 20, Indonesia extended the covid-19 restrictions until July 25.

What areas of Indonesia are affected?

Indonesia’s most populous islands, Java and Sumatra, have seen cases skyrocket during the second wave.

In Kudus, central Java, cases increased by nearly 7,600% in the four weeks after Eid Al-Fitr, it reported Reuters on June 11, citing Wiku Adisasmito from Indonesia’s covid-19 task force.

Java’s hospitals are on the brink and the country’s oxygen supply is being dangerously depleted, while oxygen prices have skyrocketed. More than 60 people died in a single facility in early July after a hospital in Java nearly depleted its oxygen supply, although a hospital spokesperson could not confirm whether all the dead had contracted Covid-19.

In Jakarta, nearly half of the capital’s 10.6 million residents may have contracted COVID-19, according to a health survey published on July 10. Of the 5,000 people tested between March 15 and March 31, 44.5% had antibodies, indicating that they had been infected with the virus.

In Riau province, Sumatra, daily cases more than doubled from early April to more than 800 in mid-May, while the positivity rate was 35.8% in early June, according to Wildan Asfan Hasibuan, epidemiologist and advisor to the provincial working group.

And according to who, there has been an increasing trend in covid-19 cases in most of the Sumatra provinces since April.

Who is affected by the second wave of Indonesia?

The second wave has affected all age groups, according to experts. However, the number of children dying from the virus in Indonesia has quadrupled in recent weeks, according to the country’s pediatric society.

More than 550 children have died since the start of the pandemic, about 27% of whom died in the first weeks of July.

Parents often think they mistake symptoms for a common cold and don’t test children, according to Aman B. Pulungan, president of the Indonesian Society for Pediatrics.

“When they realize this is covid-19, the condition is already bad,” Aman said. “When children are taken to the hospital, sometimes we don’t have enough time to save them. This is happening a lot.”

Frontline workers have also been affected by the increase. In early July, more than 350 doctors and medical workers in Java contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated with Chinese-made Sinovac. Most of the workers were asymptomatic and self-isolating at home, but dozens were hospitalized with high fever and falling oxygen saturation levels.

How is the deployment of vaccines in Indonesia?

Indonesia has mostly relied on Sinovac for its national vaccination program, which began in January, with health workers receiving the first batch, followed by public officials and the general population.

The rollout got off to a slow start, amid concerns raised about Sinovac’s effectiveness against more infectious variants, and authorities are scrambling to vaccinate enough people.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on July 14 that vaccines are the “hope of the country to recover from this global health crisis.” But as of July 20, Indonesia had fully vaccinated only 6% of its population, according to the CNN’s covid-19 vaccine tracker.

In Jakarta, more than 2 million people, about 23% of the capital’s population, have received both doses, according to data of the government.

Indonesia has received more than 11.7 million doses of AstraZeneca through Covax, according to Gavi, which coordinates the global vaccine exchange program. The country has also received more than 4.5 million doses of Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine, donated by the United States.

Indonesian Health Minister Budi told a press conference on July 11 that all health workers would receive a third dose of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine as a priority, adding that it will also be used as the first and second. dosage for the unvaccinated public.

On June 28, the government opened the Sinovac vaccination campaign for 12 to 17-year-olds, and Widodo urged that the expanded deployment “begin immediately.”

What role does misinformation play?

A major obstacle to controlling the outbreak is the spread of misinformation across the country.

According to a report by Unice May, false claims on social media have sparked fear and anxiety among some people, prompting questions about vaccines and lax social distancing efforts.

A nationwide survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Communications and Information and the Katadata Insight Center also found that between 64% and 79% of respondents could not recognize misinformation online. An overwhelming majority said they seek information primarily through social media.

“Since covid-19 is a new disease, even experts are still learning about it,” said Rizky Syafitri, a communications specialist at Unicef. “As a result, many people have struggled to find the most up-to-date information, which has given some people the opportunity to benefit from making false claims.”

Are other countries helping Indonesia?

In addition to the US, several countries have donated vaccines and medical supplies to alleviate the covid crisis in Indonesia.

On July 1, Japan shipped nearly 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

On July 7, Australia said it would send a health package to help Indonesia, which includes $ 8.8 million for medical equipment, including 1,000 ventilators, up to 700 oxygen concentrators and more than 170 oxygen cylinders.

Canberra also shipped more than 40,000 rapid antigen test kits and 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Australia supports our close partner and neighbor Indonesia in their response to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases,” said a statement by Marise Payne, the country’s foreign minister.

In a statement on July 20, Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said it had arranged regular shipments of emergency oxygen supplies to Indonesia.

CNN’s Amy Sood contributed reporting.