80% Vaxxed Jakarta Is ‘Epicenter’ of Indonesia’s Omicron Outbreak: Associated Press

Bed occupancy rates in highly vaccinated capital rise from 5% in early January to 45% on Saturday, according to Jakarta Deputy Governor.

QUICK FACTS:

• Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, is being characterized as “the epicenter of [Indonesia’s] omicron outbreak” by The Associated Press.
• Bed occupancy rates in the capital rose from 5% in early January to 45% on Saturday, said Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria, adding that “omicron is moving too quickly” in the city.
• Indonesia reported 11,588 new confirmed infections, as well as 17 deaths on Saturday, in the last 24-hour period, signifying the highest daily caseload since August.
• Overall, Indonesia has reported more than 4.3 million infections and 144,268 deaths from COVID-19, according to AP.
• The rise is coronavirus cases and hospitalizations come despite more than 80% of the 10 million residents having been vaccinated, raising questions about the vaccine’s efficacy.

Indonesia is bracing for a third wave of COVID-19 infections as the highly transmissible omicron variant drives a surge in new cases, @AP reports https://t.co/AHlKwhzPxo

— Bloomberg (@business) January 29, 2022

VACCINATIONS WON’T CURB COMING “UPSURGE”:

• “The upsurge will be extremely fast. … We will see a sharp rise in the near future,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a news conference Friday, adding that the current wave would likely peak at the end of February or in early March.

BACKGROUND:

• Health Minister Sadikin also said the government has dedicated more beds for Covid-19 patients, has ramped up tracing and testing, and has intensified vaccinations in all regions, AP notes.
• Nearly 311,000,000 Covid-19 vaccine does have been administered to Indonesia’s population of only 273,500,000.