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Indonesia's COVID-19 situation 'alarming': ex-journo

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/07/15/indonesia.jpg"/><figcaption>A patient rests on the floor at a temporary tent outside the emergency ward of a government hospital, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, June 25, 2021. <em>Willy Kurniawan, Reuters/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA (UPDATE) - Indonesia&#x27;s COVID-19 surge is &quot;alarming,&quot; a former journalist said Thursday, as the country reported record daily COVID-19 infections of more than 54,000.</p><p>&quot;Everyday, we hear the news reports the death of people. Now, almost once in a while, one of our neighbors are carried [to the hospital]. Then, there is news that our relative was administered to the hospital for getting COVID. So, it&#x27;s really, really alarming for Indonesian right now,&quot; Kurniawan Hari, former business editor of The Jakarta Post, told ANC.</p><p>The Southeast Asian nation is fighting a devastating new virus outbreak fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, which has choked its health-care system.</p><p>Government figures on Wednesday also showed 991 new deaths, bringing the total number to 69,210. Indonesia has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Southeast Asia.</p><p>Despite new containment measures, Hari said transmission of COVID-19 continued outside capital Jakarta.</p><p>&quot;This is very alarming because COVID is spreading from city centers to the regions,&quot; he said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1727408" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>The Delta variant, first identified in India, has been found in 11 areas outside of the densely populated Java island, the health ministry had said.</p><p>Cases and bed occupancy rates have risen in parts of Sumatra, Papua and Kalimantan, or Indonesian Borneo, and far-flung regions like West Papua were especially concerning, the ministry added.</p><p>Hari also criticized the country&#x27;s slow vaccination rollout amid the presence of more transmissible coronavirus variant.</p><p>&quot;I think the vaccination is slow to cover the population,&quot; he said.</p><p>Indonesia, which has a population of 270 million, has administered at least 51,433,567 doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far.</p><div><strong>PACKED HOSPITALS</strong></div><p>Dr. Bona Tambunan, director of Siloam Hospital in Indonesia, said hospitals there were packed with COVID-19 patients amid surging infections.</p><p>&quot;Hospitals are packed with COVID-19 patients. I mean, in my hospital alone, our bed occupancy rates reached over 90 percent daily,&quot; he told &quot;Rundown&quot;. </p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve seen the same case with hospitals all around Indonesia. Patients are having difficulty seeking ICU beds. We&#x27;ve seen patients lining up in emergency departments,&quot; he added.</p><p>Tambunan, who is based in South Sumatra, said COVID-19 cases were also rising in other regions. He noted that more than 10,000 cases from Wednesday&#x27;s daily tally came from Jakarta alone.</p><p>&quot;We started with only 100 new cases a day but yesterday, it was a total of 700 new cases,&quot; he said. &quot;So, we&#x27;re seeing the trend in Jakarta is happening the same way in all other regions outside Java island.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1727550" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>-- With a report from Reuters</p>

<p>Indonesia's COVID-19 surge is "alarming," a former journalist said Thursday, as the country reported record daily COVID-19 infections of more than 54,000.</p>

Indonesia's COVID-19 surge is "alarming," a former journalist said Thursday, as the country reported record daily COVID-19 infections of more than 54,000.