Jakarta – Experts have warned of a possible spike in Indonesia's COVID-19 fatality rate as the country sees a constant increase in daily cases.
From Dec. 1 to Thursday, Indonesia recorded over 5,000 cases in a single day. The peak so far came on Dec. 3 with 8,369 cases, while there were four days that saw over 7,000 cases per day.
Jakarta – Military Police have named nine soldiers suspects in a case pertaining to the killing of two Hitadipa villagers in Intan Jaya regency, Papua.
The soldiers are suspected of torturing two civilians identified as Luther Zanambani and Apinus Zanambani to death and burning their bodies to hide their crime, Military Police commander Let. Gen. Dodik Widjanarko said.
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The University of North Sumatra (USU), located in the provincial capital of Medan, has opened an investigation into rector-elect Muryanto Amin for alleged plagiarism.
Incumbent rector Runtung Sitepu has formed an internal investigation team to look into the allegation of academic dishonesty lodged against Muryanto.
Jakarta – State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) is encouraging travelers to take a COVID-19 test one day prior to departure to avoid long lines at airport testing centers.
The operator has added more testing locations, has set up drive-through testing at certain airports and has deployed more officers during the Christmas and New Year travel surge.
Jakarta – The national COVID-19 task force has announced that the power to sanction anti-vaxxers was in the hands of regional administrations.
Task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmita said the regional administrations were allowed to punish those who refuse to be vaccinated in order to discipline the public in receiving the free-for-all national COVID-19 vaccine.
Jakarta – As the government seeks the best way to roll up the national COVID-19 vaccination program as soon as possible, an expert has reminded the authorities to plan cautiously to carry out a successful drive.
Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded 258 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, the highest daily death toll so far, while the total number of confirmed cases passed the 700,000 mark during the country's darkest period of the outbreak.
It's for the third time that the daily death toll topped 200, all occurring this month.
Ami Yamada, Tokyo – SmartDrive, a fleet management service startup, has teamed up with Japan's construction consultancy Nippon Koei to launch a project to help ease traffic congestion in Indonesia.
Jakarta – The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and forced many to adapt to new situations, causing stress and mental health problems.
Joniansyah Hardjono, Tangerang – State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II (AP II) recorded a spike in air passenger and aircraft traffic at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020.
Laurens Ikinia – As late South African President Nelson Mandela said: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe also believes this.
David Engel – Of all the countries that the new US administration might wish to nudge its way as it tackles the implications of Beijing's power and ambitions, very few matter more strategically than Indonesia. Yet such are the obstacles to achieving this in the prevailing circumstances that Joe Biden should think twice about trying.
Andreas Harsono – Last September, I drove for four hours from Jakarta to a small town in western Java, staying one night in a Javanese-styled hotel at the foot of Mt. Ciremai, a 3,000-meter volcano on Java.
Jakarta – Enlightened Indonesia Foundation Executive Director Adhityani Putri says that the government should be more aggressive in realising its commitments to addressing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Friski Riana, Ahmad Faiz, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) board members had called for the Indonesian government to assert its support for Palestine following reports of the Israeli government allegedly attempting to open diplomatic relations with Indonesia.
Jakarta – The family of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani, who was shot dead in Hitadipa district, Intan Jaya regency, Papua, on September 19, are asking that the case be tried in a human rights court. They oppose having the trial being taken to a military tribunal.
Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The government has barred foreigners traveling from the United Kingdom from entering Indonesia after the discovery of a novel coronavirus strain that is easier to transmit between people early this month.
Bayu Marhaenjati, Farouk Arnaz – Indonesians have celebrated Christmas with online masses and low-key services on Thursday as the Covid-19 pandemic entered its worst turn across the archipelago with accelerating growth in the number of new cases, active cases, and deaths.
Rui Graca Feijo – Timor-Leste is a surprising success story in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As of mid-December 2020, the country had recognised a total of just 31 cases and it is one of the few nations to have not reported a single casualty.
Jakarta – State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II (AP II) has urged airline passengers to take COVID-19 tests before arriving at airports for a smooth journey.
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – With its own phase three clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate in limbo, Indonesia said it has asked for data from Brazil, where a similar trial is progressing smoothly.
Dozens of parents held a protest outside an elementary school in Medan, North Sumatra today, demanding that the principal step down because he is gay.
Based on their flawed beliefs that homosexuals are necessarily child molesters, the parents say they fear the principal may harm their children.
Aditya Alta and Daya Sudrajat – Governments around the world subsidise study abroad programs with various motives: to promote cultural exchange, contribute to the development of recipient countries, or create a network of future leaders as part of public diplomacy efforts.
Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – The majority of Indonesians are hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine amid persistent concerns over safety and the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines, a survey by Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC) finds.
Jakarta – Indonesia's military on Wednesday (Dec 23) named nine soldiers as suspects in the killing in April of two civilians in the country's Papua region, as part of a state probe into violence this year in an area beset by separatist conflict.
Lenny Tristia Tambun & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Newly-appointed Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin promised a revamped campaign against coronavirus to get some normalcy back to the lives of the Indonesian people, as newly cases and death toll are rising to a new level.
Semarang – The Central Java administration plans to screen holidaygoers using antigen tests at some famous tourist destinations, such as Borobudur Temple, during the Christmas and New Year holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dubbed Operation Yustisi, the operation will set up screening posts at 11 locations across the province, six of which are holiday spots.
Jakarta – The Central Java administration has decided to ration the processing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) samples because of the limited capacity of its laboratories.
In the first two weeks of the month, samples piled up at several PCR laboratories in the province because some regions have no PCR laboratories and have been sending their samples to regions that do.
Jakarta – A research team from Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java, is currently designing a rapid testing method to detect COVID-19 through saliva samples. They are also preparing a mobile application to support the reporting system for rapid test kit results.
Jakarta – The national COVID-19 task force has formed a special team to monitor treatment for doctors who are infected with COVID-19, spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito has said.
Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia has recorded 3,463 coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of the month to beat the previous monthly high with still eight days to go, according to the Jakarta Globe tally.
The previous record for the highest monthly Covid death toll was 3,323 recorded in September.
Scores of parents protested in front of a state primary school (SD) in Medan Tuntungan regency, Medan City, on Wednesday December 23 demanding that the school principle resign because of allegations he is gay.
Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo may struggle to convince some that his cabinet shakeup amid a deteriorating coronavirus crisis means a shift in strategy in fighting one of Asia's most stubborn COVID-19 epidemics.
Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's Twitter has gone abuzz on Wednesday as the chaotic 2019 presidential election ends with the two rivaling pairs now in the same government after a recent reshuffle.
Daniel Villarreal – On Wednesday, parents in Medan, a city on the northeastern coast of Indonesia, protested outside of an elementary school in opposition to the school's gay principal.
"Protect our children," one picket sign read. "Do not wait until there are victims."
Jakarta – Amid an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the capital, a doctors association is calling on Jakartans to stay at home during the Christmas and New Year holidays to prevent a further spike in cases.
Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has announced new members of his Cabinet on Tuesday (Dec 22), ending months of speculation.
Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has appointed former presidential election rival and businessman Sandiaga Uno as the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister in a recent cabinet shake-up, which also sees a former top banker become the new health minister.
Arys Aditya and Claire Jiao – Indonesian President Joko Widodo replaced the country's health chief as part of a cabinet revamp to bolster government efforts against Southeast Asia's worst coronavirus outbreak.
Ariel Bogle and Albert Zhang – On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, a network of accounts is targeting the West Papua independence movement with memes and messages designed to shape international and domestic narratives about the separatist movement.
Jakarta – Sixty teachers have tested positive for the coronavirus out of 2,600 teachers who took part a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing program by the local COVID-19 task force in Badung, Bali. The swab tests were provided as part of the regency's plan to reopen schools in January 2021.
Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reshuffled on Wednesday the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, following up on his intent in late June to replace any ministers who did not get "a sense of crisis" in the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Jakarta – The General Elections Committee (KPU) said it would be ready to face regional election disputes filed by losing candidates with the Constitutional Court.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 127 regional election disputes filed with the Constitutional Court, comprising two relating to gubernatorial elections, 13 mayoral elections and 112 regental elections.
Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have launched Operation Lilin Jaya aimed at maintaining public order and cracking down on any health protocol violations during the year-end holiday period.
Authorities would deploy a joint force of 8,179 personnel during the 15-day operation, which would run from Dec. 21 to Jan. 4, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said on Monday.
Jakarta – The government has announced that schools could reopen in January if local administrations, schools and parents agreed to resume classroom learning.
Riska Rahman, Jakarta – The government has further downgraded this year's economic growth forecast amid the rise in COVID-19 cases ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, as well as tighter restrictions that will impact consumption.
Ardila Syakriah, Jakarta – Traveling home for the holidays is regarded by many Indonesians as part of a ritual of devotion and respect for their elders but when the current pandemic set in this custom was quickly turned on its head.
In Indonesia, there are at least 25 million people aged 60 years and above, categorized as the nation's elderly.
Jakarta – A cabinet shake-up triggered by the arrest of two ministers for graft allegation brought six new faces to the President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration on Tuesday.
The appointment of Sandiaga Uno as the new tourism and creative economy minister comes as the biggest surprise: both Jokowi's rivals in last year's presidential elections are now in the same boat.
Jakarta – Despite a constant rise of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, two new studies by Google and Apple have revealed an increase in the number of people in Indonesia going out of their houses.
Google did the study nationwide, while Apple focused on Jakarta, kompas.com reported on Tuesday.
Ron Kampeas – A top Trump administration official wants to leverage development aid to have Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, recognize Israel.