The death toll hit 104,000. Despite a general lockdown, the death rate in July increased. Experts blame the Delta variant and delays in the vaccination campaign.
Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Indonesia’s health crisis is getting worse. A few days ago, the Southeast Asian country reached more 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. By yesterday, the total topped 104,000.
The daily number of new cases averaged more than 33,000 last week, a clear drop compared to the 56,000 cases reported last month. Yet, the pandemic still seems out of control.
The progression of the epidemic has slowed down following the general lockdown imposed by the government on 1 July on the islands of Java and Bali (the most populous and with the highest number of cases); however, the death rate has increased by 348 per cent over June.
According to the health authorities, such a high rate is due to the spread of the Delta variant and delays in the vaccination campaign. Many Indonesians also blame anti-vaxxers.
In fact, many Indonesians continue to ignore health protocols and do not believe in the severity of the pandemic.
Since hospitals cannot cope with the inflow of patients, people have been forced into self-quarantine at home. As a result, many die before they ever receive proper care.