Indonesia sees rise in deaths amid hope
INDONESIA has recorded its highest single-day rise in Covid-19 cases as the government prepares for its “new normal” by July.
A health ministry official said that confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections spiked by 693, taking the total number of infections nationwide to more than 19,000, including more than 1,200 deaths. The previous highest daily increase in cases was recorded a week ago with 689.
President Joko Widodo has said the country must be ready for a “new normal” by July. However, Indonesians are worrying over the commitment from the government and citizens to fight the virus as the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to rise across many provinces outside the capital, Jakarta.
So far, only four out of 34 provinces and dozens of cities have applied the restrictions.
Many areas in the country’s most populous island of Java have not formally implemented the restrictions, despite the fact that more than 60% of cases and about 80% of total deaths in the country have been recorded on the island.
Meanwhile, in Italy, a study by Milan’s Polyclinic hospital indicates coronavirus was circulating among a random sample of blood donors with no symptoms in Milan before the first domestically transmitted case was confirmed on February 21 in a town less than an hour away.
The study of blood samples by donors showed that 4.6% already had antibodies against the virus at the start of the epidemic.
Researchers concluded only one in 20 asymptomatic carriers had developed immunity, “clearly showing that herd immunity remains a long way off”.
That percentage rose to 7% by the beginning of April, when Italy was under lockdown. As the lockdown wore on, longer-term immunity was more prevalent among younger donors, which researchers said indicates “the social distancing practices seemed to have favoured young people, who had time to develop long-term immunity”.
The study, involving researchers at the Polyclinic, Milan University, Sacco Hospital and the European Oncological Institute, was released in a preliminary form before being submitted to scientific journals for peer review.
In India, in a major relief to tens of thousands migrant workers eager to return to their village homes from cities and towns, Indian Railways will be doubling the number of special trains for them and will also run 200 new trains across the country from June 1.
Indian Railways said it has operated more than 1,600 trains for migrant workers and transported over 2.1 million of them to their home states in the past 19 days.
Passengers are required to wear masks and undergo health screenings before travelling.