Dozens of people infected with the COVID-19 virus died last weekend when a hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, ran out of oxygen.
Attempts to replace oxygen cylinders at Dr. Sargito General Hospital during a power outage failed to save 63 patients from the new coronavirus, as cities across the country face a surge in new coronavirus cases.
In a statement Sunday morning, hospital director Rukmono Siswishanto said, “The hospital switched to oxygen cylinders, including 100 oxygen cylinders donated by the Yogyakarta regional police. However, all efforts were made too late.”
Siswishanto said he had informed several authorities, including the health minister, that the hospital would run out of oxygen on Saturday night.
A surge in new cases daily in Indonesia has prompted hospitals to set up temporary intensive care units and new isolation centers. In the capital, Jakarta, at least three new cemeteries are being built for those infected with the COVID-19 virus.
In one Jakarta neighborhood, residents in need of oxygen stood in long lines at 6 a.m. to fill up their tanks for their loved ones, according to the Voice of America’s Indonesian-language group.
New coronavirus cases and deaths in Indonesia have reached new highs in the past week. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, 3,298 people have died in Indonesia in the past week.
In India, officials have announced that thousands of residents have received fake vaccines. Officials say the vaccines were administered at fake vaccine camps set up in several cities, including Mumbai and Kolkata. So far, six people have been arrested in connection with these fake vaccines, officials said.
India’s health ministry said Sunday that it recorded more than 43,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
In Iran, government officials are shutting down a number of businesses as vaccination rates continue to lag as a variant of the daltal virus continues to spread. Only one-third of Iran’s population has been vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Britain, which has fully vaccinated nearly half of its population, is expected to announce an end to the requirement to wear masks.
British media reported Sunday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans for a “Freedom Day” on July 19 would remove the legal requirement to wear masks in addition to fully opening currently restricted business and social activities.
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