Whoops! COVID-19 In Japan Skyrockets And Causes ‘Gowes Bareng’ On The 77th Anniversary of The Republic of Indonesia In Osaka Canceled

Illustration of riding a bicycle in Japan. (Unsplash-Bohdan Maylove)

JAKARTA - The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Osaka has decided to cancel the 'Gowes and Merdeka People's Party' event related to the 77th independence day of the Republic of Indonesia. The skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases in Japan was the reason behind the cancellation of the event.

"We canceled because there were concerns about the spread of COVID-19," said Consul for Information and Socio-Cultural Risa Ambarizky when confirmed in Tokyo, Monday, August 8.

Both events were supposed to take place on Sunday, August 7, 2022, but the activities were postponed indefinitely.

"Incidentally (COVID-19 cases) are at their highest in Osaka and in Tokyo as well as in recent times," she said.

Risa said that 50 participants had registered for the ride. The event is planned to be followed by special competitions on August 17.

However, she continued, other activities, such as the tempeh creation competition, were still being held online.

Based on Antara's report, the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka hopes that Indonesian citizens in Osaka and its surroundings can maintain good health and condition for themselves and the immediate environment, avoiding 3C situations (closed spaces, crowded places, and closed-contact settings) situations where close contact is possible).

In addition, the Consulate General also appealed to Indonesian citizens to always be disciplined in implementing health protocols.

Referring to data from the Ministry of Health, Employment and Welfare of Japan as of Sunday, August 7, there were 206.463 confirmed daily cases or a decrease of 21.076 cases compared to the previous day.

However, on a weekly average, COVID-19 cases in Japan rose, with 215.279 new cases compared to 201.021 cases in the previous week.

Meanwhile, there were 555 severe cases or an increase of four cases compared to the previous day and the cumulative number of deaths was 33.655 cases or an increase of 154 cases from the previous day.

Based on location, the most COVID-19 cases were found in Tokyo with 99.208 cases and Osaka with 43.508 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Most of the COVID-19 infections in Japan affect the population aged 20-40 years and the spread is almost evenly distributed to both men and women.