mandag 6. april 2020

Coronavirus: Indonesia grapples with fear of a hidden virus surge

Indonesia - one of the worlds most populous and far-flung nations - only just closed its borders, but experts fear this came too late. As the BBC's Resty Woro Yuniar and Aghnia Adzkia report, its healthcare system will not be able to cope amid warnings that official figures mask the true scale of virus cases.

It may have only registered its first coronavirus case in March but now Indonesia is second only to China for coronavirus deaths in Asia. Among the dead are at least 12 health workers, including two doctors in their 30s. Novita Purwanti and her fellow nurses, at a public health centre in Bandung, West Java, are all too aware of this. They pooled funds to buy raincoats and two medical goggles to share.

"We disinfected the raincoats so that we can use them again, while we're waiting for the protective kits from the health agency to arrive," she explains. "I can't buy a N95 mask, it's too expensive and they are hard to find."