Coronavirus: Indonesian toll ‘likely 1000’ — double official count

Indonesia’s death toll has likely reached 1000, nearly double the official figure of 582, the country’s doctors’ body says.

Stopping the traffic in Yogyakarta at the weekend. Picture: Getty Images

Indonesia’s death toll from the coronavirus is likely to have reached 1000, nearly double the official figure of 582, the chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) says.

There is a discrepancy between official figures and IDI’s estimate, as official data did not include deaths of patients suspected to have coronavirus but still awaiting tests.

“Those who were yet to be confirmed with COVID-19 were also reported by hospitals as death by coronavirus,” IDI chairman Daeng Faqih told local media on Saturday.

Indonesia’s health ministry was not immediately available for comment. Even with the official figure, Indonesia has reported more coronavirus deaths than any Asian country except China.

The health ministry on Saturday reported 325 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections in the world’s fourth-most populous country to 6575 on Sunday.

University of Indonesia’s public health faculty has warned that there could be more than 140,000 deaths and 1.5 million cases across Indonesia by May unless the government takes tougher action.

Indonesia on Friday surpassed The Philippines to become the country with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, South Korea has reported single-digit new coronavirus cases for the first day in two months with eight new infections.

Of the new cases, five were imported from overseas, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday. The death toll rose to 234. It was the first time since February 18 that South Korea reported a single-digit daily rise. The figure brings its total infections to 10,661.

South Korea has largely managed to bring the outbreak under control and has recently been reporting daily new cases hovering around 20.

President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday that South Korea’s progress gave hope that the COVID-19 was “surmountable” in other parts of the world.

Earlier this year, South Korea had Asia’s largest number of infections outside China, however, it has since been overtaken by other countries.

“The government will prepare for new daily lives and the new world order ‘post- COVID’ with the unified power of the citizens,” Mr Moon said.

Seoul is expected to announce on Sunday night whether it will extend its social-distancing campaign, which had already been extended once on April 4.

Reuters