Virus surge feared after Ramadan
Jokowi in maelstorm as Indonesians score gov’t mistakes
Jakarta—indonesians expressed fear of a surge in COVID-19 cases after the holy month of Ramadan, which starts Thursday. Citizens in the world’s fourth most populous nation have been seething since President Joko Widodo admitted that he withheld key information from the public aside from the slow pace of testing for the deadly coronavirus that has already killed more than 175,000 worldwide.
JAKARTA—WORRIES are growing in Indonesia that the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has infected more than 2.5 million around the world and taken more than 175,000 lives, could spread further after the looming Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
There’s a chance that Indonesia “will face an explosion of coronavirus cases that could infect 1 million people after Ramadan” unless the government takes stricter measures, said epidemiologist Pandu Riono of the University of Indonesia.
Tardy actions
Riono echoed the fears of many Indonesians who have criticized the decision of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to order large-scale social distancing restrictions instead of locking down the country of 267.7 million people.
Widodo announced on Tuesday a ban on people returning to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-fitr around
May 23, which marks the end of Ramadan that starts at the first sighting of the new moon expected on April 23.
Like many leaders in Southeast Asia, Widodo has expressed concern at the potentially crippling economic impact of a lockdown and has resisted a nationwide quarantine.
But the matter has become political as critics vilified the Widodo government’s missteps in dealing with the crisis early on.
Ministers in denial
Indonesian Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto initially downplayed the breakout earlier this year although Indonesians wanted the government to follow Singapore’s precautionary measures.
Indonesian Defense Minister Muhammad Mahfud declared that “the coronavirus does not exist in Indonesia” although the country had tested less than 50,000, or just 180 per million people.
Government spokesperson Achmad Yurianto said the government planned to build 78 laboratories to hasten testing but so far only 37 labs had been equipped for the coronavirus.
Riono estimated that the country had cases of the virus as early as January that went undetected because of limited testing capabilities.
Last month, Widodo admitted that the government kept the public misinformed about the state of the coronavirus in the country.
“Indeed, we did not deliver certain information to the public because we did not want to stir panic,” he said.
But by the time the government ordered social distancing and suspended nonessential activities, dozens had already been infected.
“Jokowi was too slow in leading the war against this pandemic crisis,” said Bivitri Susanti, a law and political analyst from Indonesia’s Jentera School of Law, using Widodo’s popular nickname. “Instead, he showed his weak leadership.”