COVID-19 Soars, Oxygen Refill Prices In Jakarta Rise By IDR 5,000 Per Tube

Residents queue to refill oxygen on Jalan Minangkabau, Setiabudi, South Jakarta following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Jakarta, Friday, July 2/Antara

JAKARTA - The price of oxygen refills has jumped from IDR 3,000 to IDR 5,000 per cylinder of various sizes at a sales center in Setiabudi, South Jakarta since two weeks ago. This follows a surge in COVID-19 cases in DKI.

"This surge in the purchase of oxygen refills has occurred since two weeks ago," said Krisna Okta Wira, manager of the oxygen filling depot in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Friday, July 2.

As for the sizes that are refilled with oxygen the most, he continued, including the one cubic meter tube which is now priced at Rp. 18,000 per refill, an increase of Rp. 3,000 from the previous price of Rp. 15,000.

The average increase for other tubes, he continued, was up to Rp. 5,000 per tube.

For oxygen filling for the smallest tube measuring 0.5 cubic meters, the price is Rp. 10,000, for a tube measuring 1.5 cubic meters it is Rp. 25,000.

Meanwhile, oxygen filling for two cubic meter cylinders reaches Rp. 30,000 and three cubic meters reaches Rp. 40,000.

"On average, those who refill are ordinary citizens for their needs at home, but there are also those from the Puskesmas," he added.

According to him, on weekdays, there are no more than 100 buyers who regularly refill oxygen per day.

However, since two weeks ago the number of buyers jumped to around 200 people per day.

As a result, oxygen supplies also begin to run out quickly due to high demand.

The high demand for oxygen also causes queues at the oxygen filling depot on Jalan Minangkabau, Setiabudi, South Jakarta.

The queues of buyers and parked vehicles also caused the roads around the depot to become blocked several times.

There were six depot officers, then some of them helped to regulate buyers, including social distancing.

"We are open from seven in the morning until seven in the evening. One refill takes about five minutes," he said.

In addition to the Minangkabau Street area, South Jakarta, oxygen filling centers in Jakarta are also located in Cipinang, Kramat Jati and Pramuka.

However, some buyers admitted that oxygen stocks have been limited since the last few days due to high demand.

"From a few days ago, the search for oxygen refills at Kramat Jati and Pramuka has run out," said the buyer, Irna, who was met at the oxygen filling depot on Jalan Minangkabau, South Jakarta.