Jakarta to Extend Stricter Movement Restrictions by Two Weeks

(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia’s capital will extend stricter movement restrictions for another 14 days as coronavirus infections continue to spread in areas surrounding the city.

The return of social-distancing measures last week has helped put a brake on new cases in Jakarta, but surrounding cities Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi have continued to chart increases, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said in a statement on Thursday. The restrictions were previously set to end Sept. 27.

Indonesia is seeing the number of new infections pick up, posting another record increase of 4,634 cases on Thursday to bring the total to 262,022. A quarter of overall cases were found in Jakarta. The severity of the pandemic has led the government to expect an economic contraction this year for the first time since the Asian financial crisis.

Without the restrictions, Baswedan expects new cases in Jakarta to rise by 2,000 per day by the middle of October. The city added 1,044 cases on Thursday.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.