Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
In December 2020, we reached out to several folks across Asia to ask how the pandemic was affecting their countries and communities. One person we talked to was Adhitya Yusuf (he/him) who is from Indonesia. You can read our 2020 interview here.
We recently had the opportunity to reconnect with Adhitya and ask him what’s changed in the 8 months since we last spoke. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Adhitya for sharing his insights and story.
Please introduce yourself!
Hi! My name is Adhitya Yusuf, my friends call me Adhit (pronouns He/Him/His). I am from Indonesia, currently living in Tangerang Selatan, a city in the Greater Jakarta area. But I’m originally from Lombok, an island rich in culture and beautiful landscapes.
We last spoke with you in December of 2020. How has the COVID-19 situation in Indonesia changed since then?
Since then, actually, the situation had been quite ‘under control’ when people started getting vaccinated.
It seemed that life was about to step into the new normal. However, another wave hit hard when the delta variant entered the country, and I feel the current situation is as uncertain (or even worse) compared to the beginning of the pandemic.
How has the situation of yourself and your loved ones changed because of COVID-19?
Since the pandemic, me and my wife have practically been working from home. Since my parents live in another city, previously we could meet at least 2 times a year, but now we haven’t had the chance for almost two years.
We also have been worried hearing news about friends, neighbours, and close relatives being infected, so we always pray for the safety and health of people around us. Thankfully, technology enables us to keep interacting with loved ones through video calls.
Have you been able to access COVID-19 vaccines?
Thankfully, my wife and I have been fully vaccinated. My wife got her vaccine from the university, as lecturers were one of the target priorities by the government. I got my turn a bit later as I needed to get myself registered through the local municipalities.
What do you think the general attitude of the public in Indonesia is right now to COVID-19?
I think the attitudes vary depending on the area. In my residential area, people are always taking safety precautions like wearing masks, keeping their distance, etc. I also found some public areas like restaurants and coffee shops that restrict the customers to be disciplined, otherwise they cannot be served. But I also often see people who do not really care, like around the street food stalls and traditional markets.
What is something you think the Indonesian government has done well in the fight against COVID-19? Something it hasn’t done so well?
In my opinion, the government has done a pretty good job in the provision of vaccines. It was shown by their action on reserving millions of doses of vaccines from several providers at the beginning, and also their commitment to providing vaccines for free to the citizens.
However, the vaccine distribution needs to be done more effectively, as the country’s vaccine rate is still low (<10%). I saw on the news that some areas could not use up all their vaccine stocks, while in the other areas crowds went unhandled for vaccinations.
How do you think Indonesia is doing overall in the fight against COVID-19 compared to other countries in the world?
In Indonesia, people hold on to the value of ‘gotong-royong’ –meaning mutual aid– which was really applied by the community during the pandemic. It is common to find relatives or neighbours that support each other when someone is impacted.
Not to mention, community initiatives such as crowdfunding or solidarity movements also do a lot to support vulnerable groups. I imagine the situation today might be worse if Indonesian people did not have the spirit of gotong-royong in the community.
What do you hope to see in the future of the fight against COVID-19 in Indonesia? And more generally around the world?
I hope that everyone can really play their part to end the pandemic e.g. governments providing easier access to vaccines for citizens across the country, and more people willing to get vaccinated.
I also hope that world leaders now focus on addressing urgent global issues like COVID-19 and climate change, and put aside their political agenda.