COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was confirmed to have spread to Indonesia on 2 March 2020, after a dance instructor and her mother tested positive for the virus. Both were infected from a Japanese national.[3][4]
By 9 April 2020, the pandemic had spread to all 34 provinces in the country at that time. Jakarta, West Java, and Central Java are the worst-hit provinces, together accounting more than half of the national total cases. On 13 July 2020, the recoveries exceeded active cases for the first time.[5]
As of 3 July 2023, Indonesia has reported 6,812,127 cases, the second highest in Southeast Asia, behind Vietnam. With 161,879 deaths, Indonesia ranks second in Asia and ninth in the world.[6] Review of data, however, indicated that the number of deaths may be much higher than what has been reported as those who died with acute COVID-19 symptoms but had not been confirmed or tested were not counted in the official death figure.[7]
Indonesia has tested 76,062,770 people against its 270 million population so far, or around 281,501 people per million.[8] The World Health Organization has urged the nation to perform more tests, especially on suspected patients.[9]
Instead of implementing a nationwide lockdown, the government applied "Large-Scale Social Restrictions" (Indonesian: Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar, abbreviated as PSBB), which was later modified into the "Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement" (Indonesian: Pemberlakuan Pembatasan Kegiatan Masyarakat, abbreviated as PPKM).[10] On 30 December 2022, the restrictions were lifted for all regions in Indonesia since satisfied population immunity exceeded the expectation, although it did not lift the pandemic status.[11][12][13]
On 13 January 2021, President Joko Widodo was vaccinated at the presidential palace, officially kicking off Indonesia's vaccination program.[14] As of 5 February 2023 at 18:00 WIB (UTC+7), 204,266,655 people had received the first dose of the vaccine and 175,131,893 people had been fully vaccinated; 69,597,474 of them had been inoculated with the booster or the third dose.[15]
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[16][17]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[18][19] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[20][18]
Classifications
Cases
Since 14 July 2020, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia classifies people involved with COVID-19 into four levels:[35]
Travel restrictions
Indonesia had denied transit and entry for all foreign visitors since 2 April 2020.[175][176]
Indonesians who returned from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, United Kingdom, Vatican City, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland were subject to additional health screening and a 14-day stay-at-home notice or quarantine depending on appearing symptoms.[177]
Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, and Sriwijaya Air cancelled several flights and grounded their aircraft. Meanwhile, Indonesia AirAsia cancelled all flights. International airlines have either temporarily suspended services or continue operating with reduced frequency. Other airlines such as China Airlines and Etihad Airways chose to continue their services as usual.[178][179]
From 24 April until 8 June, the government suspended all passenger to travel outside areas with at least one confirmed case, regions that had imposed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), and those that had been declared COVID-19 red zones. The ban applied to all types of public and private transportation by air, sea, land, and railway, except for vehicles carrying leaders of state institutions, police and military vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, hearses and vehicles transporting logistical supplies, staple goods and medicines.[87]
Due to its number spike, a total of 59 countries banned non-essential travel to and from Indonesia, among them included Malaysia, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and the US as declared by the CDC.[180][181] The Indonesian government persuaded other countries to bring Indonesians to their country, but the countries questioned on whether Indonesia is able to manage the outbreak and thus keep them safe. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi telecommunicated with other countries to discuss it; some countries then decided to only unban very essential travel with travellers already conducted two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, in consideration of Indonesia's disrupted economy.[182]
Indonesia imposed a 14-day lockdown from 1 until 14 January 2021 after a new variant of coronavirus was detected in December 2020 and had spread to some countries. Foreigners worldwide were banned to enter the country's territories.[183] This was later extended until 22 February.[184]
On 26 March, the national government announced its decision to ban mudik during Eid al-Fitr from 6 to 17 May to curb the spread of COVID-19.[185] They also tightened the travelling terms and requirements starting from 22 April to 24 May.[186]
On 5 July, the government renewed the travelling terms and requirements during the emergency Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement. Travellers who wanted to visit Indonesia would have to perform a PCR test at least 72 hours before their departure and show their vaccination certificate. They would be tested again when they arrive in Indonesia, followed mandatory quarantine for eight days, and for those who wanted to travel domestically would have to be vaccinated with the Gotong Royong vaccine.[187]
Criticism
Government
President Jokowi was criticized in March 2020 by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,[188] human rights groups,[189] and also by political parties such as Golkar and PKS[190][191] for lack of transparency regarding information on COVID-19. Widodo insisted on not sharing travel history details of the patients that tested positive with coronavirus in an attempt to reduce panic and uneasiness in the general public.[192] The public had asked the government to release official national map of COVID-19 confirmed cases' location, as unofficial independent maps may provide incorrect data.[193]
The government was also criticized after pledging to set aside IDR 72 billion ($5m) to pay for social media influencers to attract tourists to Indonesia.[194]
Some critics of the government were arrested for allegedly spreading false information about the COVID-19 pandemic.[195]
On 30 August 2020, President Jokowi was critized by writer Islam Syarifur Rahman who wrote him as an antiscience president due to his statement that only relied on prayers and the role of ulama as a solution to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.[196]
Transition to endemic stage
On 18 May 2022, the Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, requested that Bali receive an endemic status to COVID-19 in order to "accelerate the recovery of Bali's tourism and economy".[260]
On 20 September 2022, it was reported that the country of Indonesia is "...posed to reach COVID-19 endemic stage".[261]
On 30 December 2022, the government revoked large-scale social restrictions and lifted the restrictions in all regions in the country.[262]
On 21 June 2023, President Joko Widodo officially announced the revocation of the COVID-19 pandemic status in Indonesia. With this revocation, Indonesia will enter an endemic period.[263]
On 5 August 2023, President Joko Widodo officially ended the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Jokowi also disbanded the Committee for Handling Covid-19 and National Economic Recovery or KPC PEN.[264]