Delta's Assault... Indonesia Records Highest COVID-19 Death Toll

New COVID-19 Cases Rank 2nd Worldwide
Controversy Over UK's Lifting of Quarantine Measures

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Indonesia, hit hard by the Delta variant, has surpassed India and Brazil to become one of the countries with the highest number of COVID-19 cases alongside the United Kingdom. The UK, which has been reporting 50,000 new cases daily, fully lifted its quarantine measures as scheduled on the 19th (local time), prompting evaluations that "a huge gamble has begun." Experts warn that the UK's daily COVID-19 cases could reach 200,000 in the future.

According to the international statistics site Worldometer on the 18th, Indonesia reported 44,721 new cases that day, ranking second in the world after the UK (48,161 cases). India (38,325 cases) and Brazil (34,126 cases) fell one rank each to third and fourth, respectively.

The number of deaths is the highest in the world. Indonesia recorded 1,093 daily deaths that day, the only country with a four-digit figure worldwide. Brazil (939 deaths), Russia (764 deaths), and India (501 deaths) followed.

Indonesia has seen a surge in cases since last month due to the spread of the India-origin Delta variant. After ranking first in the world for the first time on the 12th, it has been alternating between first and second place with the UK up to that day. The daily number of cases surpassed 20,000 on the 24th of last month, 30,000 on the 6th, 40,000 on the 12th, and 50,000 on the 14th, before slightly decreasing on that day.

As patients flood in, medical institutions have been paralyzed, and beds and oxygen remain severely insufficient. In one hospital alone, 33 patients died this month due to oxygen supply shortages. The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Thousands of patients are gasping for breath while waiting for beds in hospital corridors, tents, and cars."

The problem is that the actual number of patients is even higher. According to The Guardian, Indonesia conducts only 55.89 diagnostic tests per 1,000 people. This is one of the lowest levels in the world, about one-sixth of India (318.86 tests per 1,000 people) and one-sixtieth of the UK (3,311.03 tests per 1,000 people). Dicky Budiman, an infectious disease expert at Griffith University in Australia, analyzed, "The actual number of confirmed cases in Indonesia is likely to be 3 to 6 times the reported statistics."

The Indonesian government has issued Emergency Social Activity Restrictions (Emergency PPKM) on Java Island, where the capital Jakarta is located, and Bali Island from the 3rd to the 20th. The measures include 100% remote work except for essential industries, bans on dining out, shopping mall closures, and closure of worship facilities. Bloomberg reported, "The Indonesian government is considering whether to extend these measures."

On the early morning of the 19th (local time), when COVID-19 quarantine measures were lifted, citizens were dancing without masks at a nightclub in London, UK.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The UK, which has the highest daily number of cases in the world, fully lifted COVID-19 quarantine measures as scheduled on the 19th. Although Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that this move could result in more deaths, criticism has arisen over the decision to loosen restrictions.

In the UK, Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive, followed by Prime Minister Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak entering self-isolation. The situation is serious enough that the top two cabinet members and relevant ministers are in quarantine. CNN pointed out, "Prime Minister Johnson, who is not even safe from COVID-19 himself and has entered self-isolation, is taking a huge gamble despite experts' concerns."

The UK surpassed 50,000 new cases on the 16th, the first time in six months since mid-January. UK health authorities expect the number to exceed 100,000 during this summer, with projections that it could surpass 200,000 within the year. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said, "Reaching 100,000 new cases after fully lifting restrictions is inevitable," adding, "The important question is whether it could be twice that or even higher."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.