JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesia on Sunday reported over 3,000 new cases of novel coronavirus infection for the sixth consecutive day.
According to data from the health ministry’s website, new infections on Sunday were 3,636 with new deaths at 73. The total number of infections are 218,382 and deaths to 8,723.
Employees of businesses considered non-essential will need to work from home from Monday and government workers will be given permission to work from offices.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told a news briefing on Sunday, “Our main focus is to set restrictions in office spaces. We hope this will put a stop to the rising number of cases in office clusters.”
The curbs will be enforced for two weeks, but can be extended, he said.
Baswedan first announced the plan to re-impose restrictions late on Wednesday. Indonesia’s main stock index tumbled 5% the next day.
On Sunday, he emphasised that the restrictions were necessary as the number of active cases in the capital increased significantly during the first 12 days of September.
As of Sunday, Jakarta had reported 54,220 cases of infection and 1,391 deaths.
Baswedan said the city government will also bring into force a mandatory isolation policy, where those confirmed to be infected will be isolated at locations, such as government facilities or hotels, starting Monday.
Baswedan said, “If the confirmed positive person refuses the isolation, they will be picked up by health and law enforcement officers.”