Indonesia Reports 6,248 Cumulative COVID-19 Cases... Over 300 New Cases Daily Increase

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Indonesian government announced on the 18th (local time) that there were 325 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), bringing the total to 6,248.

It is reported that the number of confirmed cases in Indonesia has been increasing by more than 200 to 300 daily since the 6th of this month. The previous day saw an increase of 407 cases in just one day. On this day, 15 additional deaths were reported, bringing the total to 535, and the cumulative number of recoveries was recorded at 631.

Indonesia has the highest number of confirmed cases in Southeast Asia and the second highest number of deaths in Asia after China.

As the number of confirmed cases rises, the Indonesian Ministry of Health has expanded the application of 'Large-Scale Social Restrictions' (PSBB) to a total of 17 areas, including 9 areas in the Jakarta metropolitan area and 5 areas such as Pekanbaru City, Makassar City, Tegal City, and Bandung.

The PSBB areas do not prohibit going outside altogether but impose restrictions such as switching to remote work except for essential industries, limiting vehicle occupancy to 50%, banning dining inside stores, and prohibiting religious activities inside places of worship.

Meanwhile, it is known that many medical personnel in Indonesia have been infected due to a shortage of protective equipment such as protective suits and masks.

In response, Eric Tohir, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, stated that the medical and pharmaceutical sectors are controlled by a 'huge mafia,' resulting in a heavy dependence on imports. He said, "Ninety percent of raw materials for medicines and medical equipment depend on imports," adding, "Upon investigation, there is a mafia that prevents us from producing domestically and keeps us busy only with trade transactions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.