Indonesia De Facto Towards Endemic

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said Indonesia had begun to transition from a pandemic to an endemic. This is based on several indicators and from existing data.

"The main point is to look at the number of active cases, the positivity rate, the hospital occupancy rate, then the death rate now has signs that are not the highest from the existing disease," Muhadjir said in a written statement quoted on Thursday, May 12.

In addition, Muhadjir said the death toll from COVID-19 in the country had dropped and was no longer at number 14.

This is based on the results of an internal survey by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture at 18 hospitals in DKI Jakarta hospitals in February. Instead of COVID-18, the death rate was the highest from cancer and pneumonia.

"The highest death rate is cancer, then pneumonia, non-specific pneumonia, and now COVID-19 who died has been ranked 14th. So it's no longer a threat," said Muhadjir.

Even though the COVID-19 case is getting better, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture asked the public to remain vigilant and careful. Because there are still cases of death and being infected.

"But judging from some of these indicators, we are actually de facto (in fact) already heading to an endemic," he added.

Muhadjir said that the transition from pandemic to endemic was at stake after the Eid al-Fitr holiday. If after Eid al-Fitr there are no significant additional cases, COVID-19 in Indonesia will soon become endemic.

"The bet is after this annual holiday. After Eid, in two or three weeks there will be no increase in cases. So we are optimistic that the transition to endemic will soon be," he concluded.