Indonesia Becomes Epicenter of COVID Pandemic, as Southeast Asia is Battered by Third Wave

The health system in Indonesia is being battered by the surge in COVID-19 cases, with hospitals reaching capacity and oxygen supplies running low.

 

Link to the source article >> https://healthpolicy-watch.news/indonesia-becomes-epicenter-of-covid-pandemic-as-southeast-asia-is-battered-by-third-wave/

Indonesia has overtaken Brazil and India to claim the highest number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths, becoming the new epicenter of the pandemic. The surge is part of a third wave hitting all across Southeast Asia.

Countries in Southeast Asia emerged from the first year of the pandemic relatively unscathed, but SARS-CoV2 variants, inconsistent enforcement of public health measures, and slow vaccine rollouts have led to large outbreaks in Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia.

As the highly transmissible Delta variant, first identified in India and classified as a WHO variant of concern in mid-May, sweeps across the world, cases, deaths, and nationwide restrictions are increasing.

The Delta variant has been recorded in 111 countries. The three other variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, and Gamma) have been found in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia.

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