Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia saw a record increase in daily COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with 27,913 new infections reported across the country, which took the total tally to 2,256,851, the COVID-19 Response Task Force said.
With 493 people dying of COVID-19, the death toll reached 60,027. The number of deaths showed a decline on Saturday compared to the day before, when they were recorded at 539.
Meanwhile, the number of active cases, or patients receiving treatment or conducting self-isolation, increased by 14,138 to reach 281,677.
The number of 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 have hit a record high of 25 thousand, 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. (INE)
Source: Antara News