M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The number of Indonesia's COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly in the past month. The Health Ministry recorded a surge in hospitalized patients between October 4 and November 8, 2022, from 2,300 to above 5,000.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that 27,018 people had been hospitalized in the past month. Of the figures, more than 32 percent (8,763 patients) had not been vaccinated at all, 5.9% (1,598 patients) had received the first dose, 27.6% (7,469 patients) had received the second dose, and 30.7% (8,316 patients) had received the booster dose.

"[Meanwhile, the vaccination] status of 872 patients is not yet known," said Budi in a statement, Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

From the data presented by Budi, the case surge began to occur from mid-October 2022 to early November 2022. There were nearly 6,000 new positive cases per day.

As a result, the number of deaths also increased. Budi confirmed that almost half of the patients who died were unvaccinated.

"The number of patients who died from October 4, 2022, to November 8, 2022, was 1,373 or 5% of the total 27,018 patients treated," Budi outlined. "48% of the patients who died had not been vaccinated."

In detail, 8% of patients who died had received the first dose, 28% had received the second dose, and 16% had received the booster dose.

As many as 20,749 patients or 76% have recovered, while the rest are still undergoing treatment.

Minister Budi further explained that since October 29, 2022, at least 50% of COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in the ICU were people aged over 60 years old. Thus, the elderly are highly advised to tighten health protocols and get complete vaccinations.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1654885/health-ministry-says-48-of-covid-19-deaths-unvaccinated