Indonesia records the highest number of covid cases in Southeast Asia on 17 June 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                   / KUCINTA SETIA

Image courtesy : Seto Wardhana, JP

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has announced a total number of 41431 covid cases within the territory of Indonesia on 17 June 2020, an increase of 1031 new cases compared to the previous day, breaking the record held by Singapore (41216 cases on 17 June). The breakdown is as follows:-

Aceh (37), North Sumatra (970), West Sumatra (691), Riau (128), Jambi (109), South Sumatra (1541), Lampung (169), Bangka Belitung (147), Banten (1309), West Java (2703), Central Java (2346), East Java (8533), Bali (829), West Nusa Tenggara (978), East Nusa Tenggara (108), Maluku (520), North Maluku (322), North Sulawesi (736), South Sulawesi (3200), Southeast Sulawesi (292, West Kalimantan (282), Central Kalimantan (702), South Kalimantan (2208), East Kalimantan (397), North Kalimantan (171), Gorontalo (214), West Papua (214) and Papua (1311).

The total number of deaths is 2267 as of 17 June, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Health Ministry CDC Director General Achmad Yurianto said that the new cases are concentrated in East Java (increase of 225 reported cases), Jakarta (127 new cases), Central Java (with 115), South Kalimantan (increase of 86 cases) and South Sulawesi with 84 new cases.

There is no segregation of covid into imported and domestic cases in Indonesia.

Yurianto is optimistic about Indonesia's fight against covid as 16,243 patients have recovered and discharged. The Indonesia Government has followed Singapore's example in proactive tracing the virus "aggressively" by increasing the number of tests. To date, it has carried out 547,811 swab tests on 339,687 people.

As part of the "new normal" lifestyle in Indonesia, the local authorities have divided official working hours  in Jakarta into two shifts to prevent overcrowding on public transport during peak hours. Workers are arranged to turn up for office work by 7.30 am or 10.30 pm and leave office at 3.30 pm or 6.30 pm.

Despite the highest number of covid cases on 17 June 2020, Indonesia Education and Culture Ministry has announced the reopening of schools in covid low-risk areas in 90 cities and regencies across the archipelago from 13 July 2020, the beginning of the Indonesia school year. The number of students in these areas is roughly equivalent to 6 per cent in Indonesia. This means 94 per cent of Indonesian students will continue their education through online learning.