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- 63.8 Public Health
Directives - 28.4 Financial
Response - 88 Fact-Based
Communication
Indonesia scores relatively weakly, a big drop in the past few months, keyed by substantial weakening of travel restrictions, testing policy, and debt relief.
Pre-COVID Conditions
Despite a low debt-to-GDP ratio, Indonesia’s weak healthcare system, low number of hospital beds, and low GDP per capita put it in a very weak position to respond to the pandemic.
- Debt/GDP ratio 30.1%
- GDP/capita $14,841
- Gini coefficient (out of 100) 39
- Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 21
- Healthcare access score (out of 100) 49.2
- Hospital beds/1,000 People 8
Government Response
Select a data point for more information(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
Public Health Directives
Indonesia’s relatively strong health score would be much higher if not for a very limited testing rate, low emergency healthcare spending, and limited contact tracing.
- Stay at home order 1
- Public gathering restrictions 4
- School closings 2
- Public event cancellations 2
- Testing policy 1
- Emergency healthcare investments/capita $0.10
- Travel restrictions 3
- Tests/1,000 people 18.1
- Contact tracing 1
Financial Response
Indonesia’s weak score is due to a relatively small financial stimulus. Despite the government offering income support, this is unlikely to help the nearly 60 percent of Indonesians who work in the informal sector.
- Financial stimulus as share of GDP 4.4%
- Income support 1
- Debt forebearance 1
Fact-Based Communication
Indonesia’s strong score is brought down by the fact that its health minister has promoted misinformation related to coronavirus, including that it could be prayed away or cured by drinking an herbal remedy mixed by the president.
- Reliance on science/fact based information 1
- Press freedom 0
COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1
While Indonesia managed to stave off a surge for the initial months of the virus, the country is experiencing a significant uptick in cases prompting more social restrictions.
- Total deaths 22,329
- Death rate per 100K 81.6
- Total cases 751,270
- Cases per 100K 2,747
- Percent of positive tests 18.7
- Change in positivity rates +3.1
Date | Status | New Cases/1M | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jun 15 | Restrictions at malls ease | 3.79 |
2 | Jun 20 | Restrictions at parks and recreation areas ease | 3.97 |
3 | Jul 16 | Extension of large-scale social restrictions until end of July | 5.71 |
4 | Sep 09 | Jakarta's governor announces further social restrictions | 11.85 |
Differentiating Factors
- Working-age population to get vaccine first: Unlike most other countries, Indonesia plans to target its working-age population first with the COVID-19 vaccine. Read More
- Pandemic sparks country's first recession in 20 years: Driven by COVID-19, Indonesia faces its first recession in more than two decades, though officials feel the worst is over. Read More
- Chinese COVID-19 vaccine arrives: 1.2 million doses of China's COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Indonesia in early December, although the vaccine is still in clinical trials and cannot be administered until a drug regulatory agency in Indonesia grants permission. Read More
- Potential pork in vaccine could limit uptake: Questions about the potential use of gelatin in COVID-19 vaccines could make Indonesians unwilling to take it. Read More
- Social punishment for violators: In an effort to deter citizens from ignoring social distancing rules, authorities have forced Indonesians who were not wearing masks to dig graves for victims and have fined them 150,000 rupiah ($10). Read More
- Civil society tries to counter government misinformation: Civil society throughout Indonesia has worked hard to counter factually incorrect claims by government leaders, along with overly optimistic claims they make about the country's increasingly troubling COVID-19 situation. Read More
- Overcrowded jails see rise in COVID-19: Indonesia's overcrowded jails have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases, as many call for early release or other forms of custody, especially for those of low risk. Read More
Compared with Other Island Nations
-
61.4Iceland 5,754
Cases 16,862
Per 1M 29
DeathsIceland has a very strong score, owing heavily to its reliance on facts as well as generous debt and income support; its large improvement since January was keyed by significant improvements in public health policy and financial support.
-
79.6Japan 239,068
Cases 1,890
Per 1M 3,342
DeathsJapan has a strong overall score, driven by its generous financial response and a reliance on facts, although its public health policy is very weak.
-
88.5New Zealand 2,162
Cases 448
Per 1M 25
DeathsNew Zealand has had very strong policy, particularly with regard to its reliance on science and facts and its relatively strong financial response.
Further Reading From Foreign Policy
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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:
Pre-COVID Conditions:
- Debt to GDP ratio
- Infant mortality rates
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- Gini coefficients measuring inequality
- Health access and quality
COVID-19 Public Health Directives:
- Stay-at home orders
- School-closing policy
- Public-gathering restrictions
- Cancellation of public events
- Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
- Emergency healthcare spending per capita
- Travel restrictions
- Contact tracing
COVID-19 Financial Response:
- Stimulus package as a share of GDP
- Income support
- Debt-forbearance
Public Communications:
- Instances of misinformation by leadership
- Limitations on press freedom, censorship
Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:
- Death rates per 1 million
- Case rates per 1 million