Indonesia logs record 27,913 Covid-19 daily cases

JAKARTA – Indonesia saw a record increase in daily Covid-19 cases on Saturday, with 27,913 new infections reported across the country that increased the total tally to 2,256,851, the Covid-19 Response Task Force said.

The country’s death toll also increased to 60,027 after recording 493 more fatalities that are lowered compared to Friday’s 539 deaths.

The number of active cases, or patients receiving treatment or conducting self-isolation, increased by 14,138 to reach 281,677.

The suspected cases stood at 139,189, while the number of specimens tested at laboratories across Indonesia reached 157,227.

Among the 34 provinces of Indonesia, Jakarta recorded the highest single-day increase in cases at 9,702, followed by West Java (5,390) and Central Java (3,224).

Meanwhile, Central Java recorded the highest number of daily deaths at 188, followed by East Java (80) and Jakarta (40).

Indonesia reported its first confirmed Covid-19 cases in March 2020.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has predicted that the next two weeks — until the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM) for Java and Bali end — will be critical for Indonesia.

“Since four days ago the number of new infections has risen and so has the number of deaths. The number of new cases has hit a record high of 25,000, with more than 500 patients succumbing to the infection. I think the figures will continue to increase in the next 10 days, or in the next two weeks, since the incubation of this variant will still continue. So, the next two weeks will be the critical period,” the minister remarked at a press conference on Saturday. (Antara)