Indonesia (MNN) — Indonesia has surpassed Brazil and India as the country with most new COVID-19 cases per day. Indonesia reported over 56,000 new cases on Thursday. However, a lack of adequate testing means the true numbers may be much higher.
Juserdi Purba with Asian Access Indonesia says a Muslim holiday in May might have helped spread the delta variant around the country. “The government imposed the Emergency Public Activity Restriction, especially for Java and Bali Island because these are the most populous and popular Islands in Indonesia.”
Purba says hospitals on these islands have reached 80% occupancy. The government has begun converting other buildings to treat patients.
The Christian response
Meanwhile, Indonesian Christians have rallied to help those in need inside and outside the Church. Purba says, “[We have tried] especially to distribute vitamins and medicine to the people in quarantine or self-isolation in their house, and also to help the people who need treatment at the hospital.”
Christians in the capital Jakarta have even established a task force to provide for COVID-19 patients. Pray Indonesians will get access to more vaccines soon. And praise God for these Indonesian Christians as they bless their neighbors.
The header image shows people getting tested for COVID-19 in Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
