JAKARTA (UCAN): “I regret to say that our healthcare system is in danger of collapsing,” Taur Matan Ruak, the prime minister of Timor Leste, said on August 24.
Ruak said the government has appealed for international aid in the areas of logistics and resources. He also called for renewed efforts to mobilise the people and the nation to face an enemy that threatens the lives of children and loved ones.
“The government alone will not defeat this pandemic. We all have to play our part in fighting this enemy,” he said.
On August 24, the country recorded 532 new cases—the biggest daily rise since the Covid-19 pandemic began last year. The spike has been attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant.
The death toll is also rising and now stands at 51, with more than half of them occurring in August.
The country has now recorded a total of 14,935 cases with 3,816 still active, with most infections taking place in the capital Dili and the city of Ermera.
Guido Valadares National Hospital in Dili, the country’s main Covid-19 referral hospital, said 116 of its medical staff, including 26 doctors and 53 nurses, were infected with Covid-19, leaving the hospital dangerously understaffed.
The increasingly dire situation sent alarm bells ringing within the government. On August 25, the Council of Ministers locked down Dili from August 27 to September 2. Mass religious celebrations were prohibited, including funeral ceremonies involving the participation of more than 10 people. Public transport was also shut down and restaurants only provided takeaway services.
“Those who leave their homes are only allowed to do so for reasons of health, work, access to basic goods and services and to receive the Covid-19 vaccine,” said Fidelis Magalhaes, the council chairperson.
