Speaking at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) here on Friday, he surmised that the increase in cases may partly be attributed to the recent long holidays, during which, many people traveled to tourist sites without strictly observing COVID-19 preventive measures.
"On Thursday, there were 3,622 new confirmed cases (reported) over the previous 24 hours. This condition is a bit distressing," he said, adding that a large number of additional cases were contributed by several provinces, including Jakarta, East Java, and Central Java.
The current situation in Indonesia is worrisome, considering the fact that it has been struggling to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases for six months, and yet there has been a spike in new cases, he said.
This challenging condition must serve as a lesson for all regarding the importance of maintaining discipline in enforcing the health protocols, added Adisasmito, who is a public health expert from the University of Indonesia (UI).
Coronavirus infections initially surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, while the Indonesian government officially announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
As of data compiled on Friday (September 4, 2020), Indonesia has clocked 3,269 new COVID-19 cases over a 24-hour period. The total tally of infections in the country now stands at 187,537, according to the country's Task Force for COVID-19 Response.
With 2,126 people recovering from COVID-19, the total recoveries stand at 134,181, the task force noted in a report released on Friday.
Meanwhile, the death toll has reached 7,832, with 82 people succumbing to the disease within the last 24 hours.
The figures suggest that the country currently has 45,524 active cases, or patients still receiving treatment or undergoing self-isolation. By Friday, 85,178 suspected patients have been placed under surveillance.
To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an economic contraction of 5.32 percent in the second quarter of this year, the Indonesian government is making all-out efforts, especially for developing a vaccine to combat the virus.
Currently, in addition to the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Indonesian scientists are working on a vaccine named after the country's national flag, Merah Putih (Red and White).
Finding a COVID-19 vaccine by early 2021 may help Indonesia's economy to recover at the latest by mid-2021, Iman Sugema, a senior economist with the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), stated.
"Economic recovery really relies on how immediately the COVID-19 vaccine is discovered. If it can be achieved on time, Indonesia's economy will rebound in mid-2021," Sugema has forecast. (INE)
Related news: Indonesia adds 3,269 new infections; total cases reach 187,537
Related news: Indonesia records 23.7 percent active cases of total COVID-19 cases
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Translator: Prisca TV, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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