https://arab.news/5g69b
- The president has previously resisted calls from health experts for full
JAKARTA: Indonesia is finalizing emergency social restrictions aimed a containing a surge in coronavirus cases in the world鈥檚 fourth most populous country, President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday.
鈥淭oday it will be finalized because the spike is very high,鈥� the president, popularly known as Jokowi told an event hosted by the Indonesian chamber of commerce, noting the restrictions would be applied on the islands of Java and Bali.
Authorities are mulling whether to keep the tighter restrictions for a week or two weeks, Jokowi said, without saying when he expected to announce the new measure.
Indonesia has reported record rates of COVID-19 infections of more than 20,000 in recent days, in a new wave fueled by the emergence of highly transmissible virus variants and increased mobility after the Muslim fasting month.
Movement curbs were tightened last week in so called 鈥渞ed zone鈥� areas where cases have jumped, but health experts said these have not been sufficient to stop the spread of the virus.
The hospital bed occupancy ratio was 72 percent nationally, Jokowi said, but local authorities say rates were higher in several cities including Jakarta, where medical emergency units have been shifted to tents outside hospitals.
鈥淚 ask that we all be careful and don鈥檛 let our guard down. Don鈥檛 just talk about the economy, while we don鈥檛 see the health aspect,鈥� Jokowi said.
The president has previously resisted calls from health experts for full lockdowns and warned last week that curbs should be implemented so that they avoid 鈥渒illing鈥� the economy.
Jokowi on Wednesday also pledged to accelerate the country鈥檚 vaccination campaign to achieve a target of one million doses per day in July and two million in August.
鈥淭here is no bargaining,鈥� he said, noting vaccination rates had fallen short at 200,000 to 300,000 shots per day recently.
Just 13 million Indonesia have received two vaccine shots. Out of its population of more than 270 million, 181.5 million are set to be vaccinated by January 2022.
Indonesia reported 20,467 more infections on Tuesday and 463 more deaths, bringing the total to 2.16 million cases and over 58,000 deaths.