Indonesia reports more than 13,000 cases, highest since Jan 30
JAKARTA: Indonesia reported 13,737 new coronavirus infections yesterday, the highest in a single day since Jan 30, bringing the total number of cases in the country to nearly two million, data from the Covid-19 task force showed.
The task force also reported 371 deaths yesterday, the highest number of daily fatalities since early April, taking the total to 54,662, Reuters reported.
The spread is partly due to the more contagious Delta variant.
"The number of new cases has increased by 112.22 per cent in the last four weeks, while after the long Aidilfitri holiday last year it was only 93.11 per cent," Covid-19 task force's spokesman Wiku Adisasmito was quoted by Xihua News Agency as saying last week.
Epidemiologist Windhu Purnomo, at the Airlangga University in East Java, told Xinhua the increase in social activities, a lack of compliance to health protocols as well as limited contact tracing were also to be blamed for the spike in cases.
"There are so many people who don't use masks in public places, including in public transportation cars and markets," he said.
Indonesia will receive 50 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with the first batch expected in August, a senior Health Ministry official said on Saturday.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
