The globe has struggled with the surging Delta variant of COVID-19. The virus has taken its toll on the world for over a year, but normalcy must return at some point. Indonesian President said that they are dealing with this problem firsthand.
Leaders cannot put people in dangerous situations. But, government shutdowns are horrible for the economy. On Monday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave his final annual state of the nation speech. In fact, he announced this exact concept. Widodo declared there is a need to balance health and economic interests to find the best mix for citizens.
Indonesian President Emphasis on Health and Economy in Pandemic
President Widodo spoke candidly about the pandemic, delta variant, and the need to return to normalcy on Monday.
He began by saying, “The pandemic has indeed significantly slowed down our economic growth. But, it must not hinder the process of structural reforms of our economy,”
Leadership in Indonesia has struggled lately with the pandemic. In the Asian continent, Indonesia became the epicenter of COVID-19. Hospitals overflowed, and the daily death rate topped 100,000 in the nation. The pictures and videos that surfaced from the country looked like a war zone.
Last month, President Widodo attempted to regulate the virus. He did so by tightening social restrictions and allowing non-essential workers to stay home to complete tasks. Additionally, there were limitation in public centers like malls and restaurants. This was supposed to be the beginning of balancing health and economy in pandemic.
These restrictions were met with mixed reviews. Some were happy, and others were angered, forcing President Widodo to find the balance.
He continued his state of the nation address by stating, “What we need to do is find the best combination between public health and economic interests.”
Economical Downfall
Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, and it took a massive hit from COVID-19. Under President Widodo’s leadership, the nation could bounce back with a 7% growth in the gross domestic product.
Indonesia is carrying a lot of momentum into the third quarter. But, it is still at risk because of the delta variant. I they close bars and restaurants, there will be a decline in the quarter. That’s exactly why President Widodo addressed it in his speech.
The latest reviews will apply until Monday, August 23. Then Widodo plans to return to business as usual with minor restrictions. Infections have started to plateau, which is a positive sign, showing that the orders are working.
On Sunday, the president announced that hospital bed occupancy has fallen throughout Java and the other four major islands. This has taken pressure off overloaded medical workers. Looks like finding balance in health and economy in pandemic is off to a great start!
In late June, 90% of the issues that medical workers in the capital of Jakarta were treating dealt with COVID-19. As of Sunday, COVID-19 cases accounted for 29.4% of the hospital beds.
People criticized president Widodo for his actions during the heat of the pandemic. The leader attempted to salvage the economy by resisting harsh lockdowns. This strategy was not widely used in the world. In fact, it affected Indonesia’s COVID-19 numbers. However, the economy is surging, so there is something positive about the strategy.
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