In Indonesia, drone enthusiasts have set up a delivery service that helps people in isolation due to Covid-19, by providing them directly via these small devices with medicines and food, in order to avoid any physical contact.
Armed with five drones, the seven members of the “Makassar Recover Drone Medic” team have been working 24 hours a day since early July in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province, to ensure deliveries.
Hartati, who lives with her family, has self-isolated since testing positive for Covid-19 in mid-August.
The 50-year-old praised this innovative service.
“I think the drugs received from a drone are more sterile,” she said.
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The family of four live in an area where up to 80% of residents test positive for Covid-19, according to data from the Makassar Coronavirus Task Force. The mayor of Makassar, Mohammad Ramdhan Pomato, said authorities plan to expand the use of drones to neighboring islands. The "Makassar Recover Drone Medic" team is working with the local coronavirus task force to distribute drugs at least five times a day, its founder and coordinator Muhammad Dasysyara Dahyar said. At the height of the last outbreak, in July, they made up to 25 deliveries a day.
Mobility restrictions remain in place in many Indonesian cities, including Makassar, in an attempt to contain a devastating wave of Covid-19 infections caused by the Delta variant. Indonesia has reported more than four million cases and 131,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.