Indonesia's Covid-19 Death Toll Surges Past 107,000

Indonesia's Covid-19 death toll increased by 1,498 cases to 107,096, according to a Worldometers report on Monday, August 9, 2021, at 01:57 GMT. This total death toll is the second highest in Asia.

India remains the highest in Asia with a total of 428,339 Covid-19 deaths. Corona cases in the country surged dramatically in April-May 2021, resulting in a large number of Covid-19 deaths.

Meanwhile, Iran recorded a total of 94,015 Covid-19 deaths. Turkey and the Philippines had 52,196 and 29,122 Covid-19 deaths respectively.

Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman from Griffith University, Australia, stated that two factors contribute to the high number of Covid-19 deaths in Indonesia. Firstly, Indonesia remains weak in its Covid-19 testing, tracing, and treatment (3T) interventions.

The second reason is the delay in detecting transmission and cases, and the delay in referring and treating patients due to the lack of 3T. He argues that this endangers the lives of Covid-19 patients, especially those with health risks, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions or comorbidities.

The government urges the public to continue practicing the 3M's (wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining distance) to curb the spread of Covid-19. The public needs to adopt habits of washing hands with soap, wearing masks, and maintaining physical distance. Avoiding crowds and reducing mobility also contribute to reducing the transmission of the coronavirus.