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COVID-19 surge dampens Jakarta’s anniversary celebrations
Instead of the throwing big and lavish festivals from the pre-pandemic era, the Jakarta administration has opted to host several small events that focus mostly on improving the city's economy, as the capital suffers from a new wave of COVID-19 infections that is inundating its healthcare facilities.
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Motorists pass by in front of a COVID-19-themed mural in Tebet, South Jakarta on June 15. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he alarming resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Jakarta since last week has further deepened the subdued mood around the capital’s 494th anniversary celebrations that fall on Tuesday, as the city and several pandemic hotspots throughout the country prepare for snap restrictions.
The COVID-19 situation in Jakarta has continued to hit consecutive new highs over the past week, with the city seeing 5,582 new cases on Sunday, the highest daily figure it has ever recorded since the start of the pandemic.
On Monday, Jakarta recorded 5,014 new COVID-19 cases and 78 deaths, continuing a new wave of infections that experts suspect is being driven by the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Total confirmed cases citywide have reached around 479,000 with 32,00 active cases and almost 8,000 deaths.
First detected in India, the Delta variant emerged in Jakarta and several other regions following a period of flimsy mobility curbs and lackluster attempts to prevent people from going home for the Idul Fitri holidays.
Currently, the city’s health facilities are struggling to accommodate the ever-increasing number of patients.
Jakarta Health Agency head Widyastuti announced on Monday that the bed occupancy rate (BOR) had reached 90 percent among available isolation rooms and 81 percent in intensive care unit (ICU) rooms.
