Coronavirus: surge of Delta variant in Indonesia threatens Bali tourism reopening

Name: Indonesia hits record daily Covid-19 caseload as total infections pass 2 million
Uploaded: 2021-06-22T01:30:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 41 s
Description: Indonesia hits record daily Covid-19 caseload as total infections pass 2 million

Country to tighten movement restrictions in designated red zones until July 5 as record number of new cases threatens to overwhelm health system

The surge comes after millions travelled to celebrate Eid and amid concerns China’s Sinovac vaccine is not as effective as others against the Delta variant

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People wait to receive Covid-19 vaccines during a mass inoculation exercise in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua

Resty Woro Yuniar

Published: 9:30am, 22 Jun 2021Updated: 8:11pm, 22 Jun 2021

Indonesia announced on Monday it would tighten movement restrictions amid a surge of coronavirus infections, fuelled by the Delta variant, that has brought the health system to the brink of collapse and put a question mark over plans to reopen parts of Riau and Bali to tourists from overseas.

The country on Monday recorded 14,536 new cases, its highest daily figure yet, bringing its total number of cases to more than two million. That figure, like its death toll of nearly 55,000, is the highest in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile the percentage of tests returning a positive result in Indonesia was 41.1 per cent – far above the 5 per cent limit the World Health Organization sees as indicating an epidemic is under control.

Under the new restrictions, in high-risk areas or “red zones”, non-essential businesses will have to close at 8pm, three quarters of the workforce must work from home and religious and social gatherings will be banned.

Coordinating minister for economic affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the new restrictions would be in place until July 5 and the police and army would be deployed to ensure compliance.

In the capital Jakarta, a coronavirus hotspot, curfews will be implemented from 9pm to 4am in 10 of the most crowded areas, including on Gunawarman and Senopati roads in Jakarta’s central business district.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that nearly 90 per cent of the 17,752 hospital beds reserved for Covid-19 patients in Jakarta were now occupied.

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Indonesia hits record daily Covid-19 caseload as total infections pass 2 million

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