She said it started in April of last year, when she and her family, who had just come home from abroad, begn to feel sick. It turned out that they had contracted COVID-19.

“My sister-in-law passed away first and my brother three days after. The both died of COVID-19,” she said.

Amy herself was hospitalized for 18 days for the same virus.

Given her difficult experience, Amy expected people to obey health protocols, maintain discipline in wearing their masks, avoid crowds and keep a safe distance from one another. She asked people to pay serious attention to what the government told them to do.

“I contracted the virus at the age of 59, and I was just inches away from death,” she said.

Another survivor, Tongat AR, said being exposed to COVID-19 was both painful and traumatic. While he was hospitalized, he was barely able to breathe and could not taste anything. He added that he could not move freely and could not sleep.

“We could not go anywhere, including to honor and bury my relatives. It is incredibly sad,” he said.

Tongat said he tested positive on Jan. 19 and was hospitalized for 14 days. He found to be negative for the virus at the end of February of this year.

“COVID-19 has not really left. I still feel that I am no longer 100 percent healthy. I tend to be exhausted in no time, and I am not as strong as I used to be,” he said.

He said people should not leave their houses unmasked. Even the idea of going outside itself should be considered very carefully, he added.

“When you have to go out, please, do not spend a lot of time in an indoor space. And remember that the health protocols are mandatory for a good reason. They are preventing us from contracting the virus,” he said.

Public Communication Coordinator for the National Economic and COVID-19 Recovery Committee (KPCPEN), Arya Sinulingga, said that amid the recent soaring number of positive cases, there should be no compromise in obeying health protocols.

According to government data, 14,536 people tested positive on Monday, thereby increasing the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases to more than 2 million nationwide. Monday’s number exceeded the most recent peak in confirmed daily cases on Jan. 30, which saw 14,518 daily cases.

In the last week, the number of positive cases has shown no sign of decreasing. According to the COVID-19 task force, in the June 13 to 19 period, 64,814 people tested positive. Monday’s death toll was 294 people, making for a total of 53,956 COVID-19 deaths in the country.

“Those numbers are not just numbers, so let this be a fair warning to us to stay disciplined in practicing the health protocols. And also, for those who still haven’t gotten vaccinated, please do so, as it is important for us to grow our own immunity against the virus,” said Arya, who is also a special staff member at the State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry.

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