Jakarta governor contracts Covid-19
ANIES Baswedan, the governor of the capital Jakarta, said he had tested positive for Covid-19, as the world’s fourth most populous country struggles to contain a spike in the number of infections.
The 51-year-old governor of South-East Asia’s biggest city is among a number of politicians and officials to contract the virus.
Indonesia’s transportation and religious affairs ministers were previously treated for the virus.
In a video posted on his Instagram account yesterday, the governor said he was currently asymptomatic and would self-isolate.
“I would like to remind everyone that Covid-19 is still around and can come to anyone,” he said.
His deputy, Ahmad Riza Patria, also tested positive for the virus on Sunday, according to the city’s website.
Indonesia, a country of 270 million people, has posted three days of record-high case numbers in the past week.
With over 530,000 cases and nearly 17,000 deaths, the country has the highest tallies in South-East Asia, though some health experts say limited testing and contact tracing is masking a higher caseload.
Jakarta, a bustling megacity, has also recorded new record highs in infections over the past month, with an average of around 1,240 cases per day in the past week.
Unlike some neighbouring countries, Indonesia has not brought in strict national lockdowns but opted for local curbs.
Since October, Jakarta’s governor has relaxed curbs to reinstate “large-scale social restrictions”, which means malls and restaurants can operate but with shorter hours.
Some health experts and officials have linked the recent spike in cases to mass gatherings in and around the capital.
This has included thousands joining street protests against a new job creation law and large gatherings, often with little social distancing, to mark the return from exile of controversial cleric Rizieq Shihab.