Jakarta, July 16, (dpa/GNA) – Indonesia recorded more than 1,200 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, the worst single-day death toll, nearly two weeks after the government imposed a partial lockdown.
The grim figure came as Indonesia emerged as the global coronavirus epicentre, with the explosion of cases on Java and Bali islands, driven by the highly virulent Delta variant.
The additional 1,205 fatalities brought the virus-related death toll to 71,397, according to the Ministry of Health.
The number of confirmed infections rose by 54,000 over the past 24 hours to over 2.78 million, with the active caseload at more than 500,000, the ministry said.
Indonesia imposed tighter mobility restrictions on the main Java island and Bali on July 3 following a surge in cases.
Hundreds of people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died while self-isolating at home, as hospitals across the islands are full, according to LaporCovid-19, a volunteer group that gathers pandemic data.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urged the public to abide by the government’s health guidelines and wear masks.
“The president (Joko Widodo) brought home the point that no matter how many hospital beds we have, they won’t be enough unless health protocols are observed,” he said.
So far, over 40 million Indonesians have been vaccinated, mostly using the vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac biotech, but only 16 million have received a second dose.
Indonesia plans to inoculate about 200 million of its 270 million populace in a bid to achieve herd immunity.
GNA