Indonesia extends large-scale social restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge

Governor of West Java Province Ridwan Kamil said on its twitter on Sunday that the large-scale restrictions will be applied on the provincial towns of Bekasi, Depok and Bogor that share borders with the country's capital of Jakarta which has imposed the restrictions since April 10.

"The restrictions will kick off this Wednesday (April 15) or Thursday," he said.

Governor Kamil pointed out that the provincial administration has also been preparing the provincial capital of Bandung for applying the large-scale social restrictions.

The social assistance in the forms of cashes and logistics would be delivered to the people affected by the policy, according to him.

West Java province is home to 49.9 million people, the biggest in the country.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government's spokesman for the Covid-19 Related Matters Achmad Yurianto confirmed on Sunday that the central government has given an approval to West Java province on its request to apply the restrictions.

Banten, another Indonesia's province which shares a border with Jakarta in the west, has also requested for applying the large-scale social restrictions, and the request is now under process, Yurianto said.

Indonesia on Sunday reported the biggest daily hike of the Covid-19 cases of 399, bringing the total to 4,241 with 373 casualties, and 359 others recovered, Yurianto unveiled.

Over 27,000 people have conducted rapid tests, and 60 laboratories have been activated with rising capacity, he added.

Most of the cases were detected in the Indonesian capital.

Indonesia has banned government employees, police and military personnel as well as officials of state-owned firms from returning to their hometowns for celebrating Muslims' post-fasting festivity Eid al-Fitr which falls in May to avoid exodus. - Xinhua/Asian News Network