Indonesia today hit an undesired milestone in its struggle against COVID-19, recording over 1 million cases – the first country in Southeast Asia to do so – since the pandemic arrived on its shores in March.
The country reported 13,094 new cases this afternoon, bringing its current total to 1,012,350, including 820,356 recoveries and 28,468 deaths. It came perilously close to going into seven digit-territory yesterday, with 999,256 total cases recorded by then.
Indonesia reported its first cases in March 2020. Handling of the disease has been questionable, at best, and the following can now be said about the country of 270 million:
- Indonesia is the first ASEAN country to top 1 million cases. The second-highest, the Philippines, has recorded 514,996 cases
- Indonesia is the fourth Asian nation, after India, Turkey, and Iran, to pass the 1 million cases mark
- As of Jan. 25, Indonesia has performed 32,004 tests per 1 million people, compared to India's 139,123, Turkey's 337,615, and Iran's 102,060
- Other major Southeast Asian nations have also tested more people, with the Philippines averaging 68,776 tests per 1 million people, Malaysia at 137,438, and Singapore at 1,031,417 as of Jan. 25
- Excluding Indonesia, ASEAN countries have recorded 14,192 deaths as of Jan. 25. Indonesia has 28,468 deaths as of Jan. 26
- Indonesia's daily positivity rate on Jan. 24 was at its highest level of 33.24 percent, much higher than the World Health Organization's 5 percent threshold for a lockdown. Indonesia is not, nor has it ever been, in a full lockdown.
All being said, it's worth noting time and time again that official stats do not necessarily reflect the true extent of an outbreak in any country, including Indonesia. That may be more accurately reflected by shortage of hospital beds, which Jakarta and other badly affected cities are experiencing lately.