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Indonesians yearn for better 2022 amid Omicron threat
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People dressed as Santa Claus and an elf welcome visitors to the Jakarta aquarium ahead of Christmas on Dec. 20. (AFP/Adek Berry)
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mid preparations to welcome in the new year, the country is united in the hope that the dark days of 2021, particularly the deadly Delta wave of the coronavirus, will not repeat themselves, as the highly mutated Omicron variant makes its way into the country.
The devastating Delta wave, exacerbated by a lack of mobility restrictions during this year’s Idul Fitri holidays, caused a case surge that brought the country’s health system to the brink of collapse.
It also caused the nation to pass the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths in August.
As the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus threatens another case surge, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called for optimism and unity going into the new year.
“The way forward is not always easy. Sometimes, trials and tribulations must be experienced by our society,” said Jokowi in a prerecorded speech to commemorate Christmas and New Year on Tuesday. “But with a strong spirit and unity, we will succeed in facing all challenges.”
Indonesia briefly became the global epicenter of the pandemic in July, with hospitals, particularly on Java, scrambling to treat COVID-19 patients amid shortages of oxygen and other medical supplies.
Toll on health workers
