kelihatannya new normal itu herd immunity, serahkan pada seleksi alam atau
terserah Allah saja.
On Sunday, June 14, 2020, 04:07:16 AM PDT, Sunny ambon
[email protected] [GELORA45] <[email protected]> wrote:
https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/indonesias-new-normal-a-disaster-in-the-making/
Indonesia’s‘new normal’ a disaster in the making
President Joko Widodo's rush toreopen the economy underscores his government's
tendency to downplaythe virus crisis
By JAMESP BEANJUNE11, 2020
Mulsimsin Jakarta make their first prayer during the pandemin period at
theAt-Tin mosque with a health protocol in Taman Mini, Jakarta, in June,5,
2020. Photo: AFP Forum via NurPhoto/Dasril Roszandi
Indonesia’sability to overcome the twineconomic and public health crises
wroughtby Covid-19 was always going to be a tall order.
ButPresident Joko Widodo’s recently announced “New Normal” policy,intended to
reboot Indonesia’s slumping economy, is being rolledout alongside deliberate
efforts to mislead and obscure the scale ofthe epidemic’s risk.
Expertshave warned that a premature approach to economic recovery could
riskexposing Indonesians to further outbreaks and deeper, longer-termeconomic
disruptions.
Lastmonth, prominent emergency response expert Dr.Corona Rintawan
leftIndonesia’s Covid-19 National Taskforce.
Thephysician shared his view with Asia Times that the Covid-19 pandemicis
bringing out the worst in the Indonesian government, underscoringhow Widodo’s
“New Normal” directive may invite more infectionsand confusion rather than
chart a safe way forward.
“Wehave a chronic deficiency in testing and tracking. Our capacity toconduct
PCR testing is nowhere near the target of 20,000 tests perday. But now
everything is being relaxed, the economy is beingrebooted, schools are
reopening, religious mass gathering(s) arebeing allowed – all in the name of
this ‘New Normal’narrative,” said Corona.
“Itseems that ministries are trying to show their support for thepresident by
competing to implement this concept of ‘New Normal’in the shortest possible
time, regardless of whether communities areready or if the measures are even
necessary,” he said.
Avendor wearing a face shield amid concerns of the the Covid-19coronavirus
makes religious offerings at a traditional market inDenpasar, Bali on June 7,
2020. Photo: AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka
Coronasaid that if the reopening of the economy, along with other socialand
religious activities, is not supported by measures to strengthenthe healthcare
system it could lead to “an explosion ofinfections.”
Hesaid without clear regulations and sanctions that the ‘New Normal’policy will
be a figleaf for reopening the economy whilst ignoringexpert scientific advice
warning the government against downplayingthe scale of infections, fatalities
and the likelihood of a new waveof mass infections. The government acknowledged
over 1,000 new dailycases on June 6.
“Therewas a huge spike announced just recently. It was traced back to twoweeks
ago, which possibly coincided with Eid ul-Fitr celebrations.People were still
praying together, although Muhammadiyah was firm inits advice telling people to
stay at home.
“Thesenew clusters of infection will lead to further spikes in infectionslater
on. When you say ‘new normal’ people will just assume itmeans everything can
now go back to normal,” explained Corona.
InIndonesia, like many other countries in Southeast Asia, the Covid-19pandemic
has not caused a public health crisis on the scale seen incountries like
Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States andItaly, to name but a few..
The NationalCovid-19 Taskforce reports that1,801 people, or approximately
0.0007% of Indonesia’s totalpopulation of around 275 million, have died from
Covid-19. Theofficially confirmed number of infections, now at over 30,500,
doeshowever point to a high case fatality rate of around 6%.
Now,many are concerned that Widodo’s government is deliberately holdingback on
mass-testing and under-reporting fatalities among peoplequarantined or
under-surveillance.
One citizenreporting initiative setup by journalists and academics, known as
LaporCovid-19,estimates that the actual number of fatalities may be two to
threetimes higher than officially reported.
Coronasaid that is because local governments are reluctant to push back onthe
“New Normal” policy for fear of being blamed for newoutbreaks.
IndonesianMuslims wearing face masks during Friday prayers at Al Akbar Mosquein
Surabaya, East Java, on March 27, 2020. Photo: AFP viaNurPhoto/Suryanto
Putramudji
“Takefor instance when a patient classified as ‘under surveillance’dies and a
few days later it becomes known that they were positivefor Covid-19. Some local
governments, and I won’t say which ones,reported at the time that the deceased
was negative for Covid-19despite the test results still pending,” said Corona.
“Thisis because they don’t want to get into trouble if the number offatalities
subsequently rises. Which local leaders want to be blamedwhile ‘New Normal’ is
being implemented?”
Bythe end of May, the NationalCovid-19 Taskforce reported some300,545 tests had
been carried out for 205,165 people. This puts thecountry’s Covid-19 testing
levels at around 1,100 per million. Thisis roughly on par with Afghanistan,
home to one of the lowest levelsof testing anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile,Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has announced another raft
ofCovid-19 economic stimulus funding to the tune of $48 billion. Some$6.3
billion, or 13% of this funding, is earmarked for healthcare.
Andyet Covid-19 rapid and PCR testing is not being provided for free oron the
scale necessary for Indonesian health and emergency servicesto accurately
measure or analyze the number infections in thecountry. Nor are they prepared
to quickly identify and thus containthe onset of new waves of the epidemic.
Thehealthcare component of the new stimulus funding includes some $400million
in allowances and incentives for medical staff working onCovid-19.
Tellingly,the reaction to this announcement has been lukewarm among
healthworkers, reflecting widely felt disappointment with earlier promisesof
special allowances that reportedly never materialized.
Amedical worker wearing protective gear looks out from behind ahospital tent
built in preparation for dealing with a coronaviruscase in Lhokseumawe, Aceh,
Indonesia, March 17, 2020. Photo: AFPForum via NurPhoto/Zick Maulana
Thenew Covid-19 budget’s biggest chunk of funding is for welfaresupport, much
of which takes the form of cash handouts, food aid andelectricity subsidies.
Acrossthe country, governors, mayors, and ministers have spared no effortor
expense in staging photo-ops with smiling beneficiaries receivingcash handouts
and food aid. However, despite a substantial increasein that largesse, the
targeting and fairness of beneficiary selectionis under rising scrutiny.
Indonesia’sNational Audit Board officials recently exposed the Ministry
forSocial Affairs for using outdated poverty data from 2014. Localgovernments’
inability or unwillingness to update and maintaintheir welfare recipient
databases has also hindered aid delivery.
CongressmanAchsanul Qosasi, a member of the National Audit Board,
highlightedthe fact that 20 million families on welfare lists did not
havematching social security identification codes. The NationalAudit Board
laterdiscovered that approximately $1 billion was sitting unused ingovernment
bank accounts at the end of May due to confusion overwelfare recipient data.
Meanwhile,the multitude of overlapping cash handouts, food aid and
welfareschemes has confused poor and low-income families, with manystruggling
to comprehend how and where to apply for aid.
Moneypolitics isa factor. Village functionaries, mayors, and other elected
localofficials are widely perceived to maintain welfare databases
weightedheavily in favor of their supporters.
Highvoter density areas on the island of Java report upwards of 90%service
delivery, whereas more remote areas in the eastern parts ofIndonesia such as
Maluku and Papua have not received anywhere nearthe same level of Covid-19
assistance.
Amedical staff member takes a swab sample from a woman to test for theCovid-19
coronavirus in Denpasar, Bali, June 7, 2020. Photo:AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka
Thosethat have received the cash assistance are entitled to 600,000
rupiah(US$42) per household per month for three months between April andJune,
which is then halved for another three months until September.The amount is
insufficient for families to buy even basic essentials.Should they want or need
a Covid-19 test, they must pay out ofpocket.
Significantly,free testing is not covered in the $48 billion Covid-19 relief
andeconomic stimulus budget. Tests in Indonesia are not cheap either,costing
around $25-30 for a rapid test and $70-150 for a DNA swab, or“PCR”, test.
Despitethe signs of incompetence and obfuscation, Widodo has not replaced
asingle member of his cabinet. With indications that the true state ofCovid-19
infections and fatalities are being underreported, Widodo’spremature rush to
resume normality risks leading the country into newand bigger viral outbreaks.
JamesP. Bean has worked for various humanitarian organizations on crisesin
Indonesia, Uganda, Libya, and Thailand. The views expressed arehis own.
