Indonesia extends Covid restrictions till Aug 2

Jakarta: Starting from Monday, Indonesia will extend the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions for the next eight days till

August 2 aimed at further controlling the spread of the virus, President Joko Widodo announced.

"By considering the aspects of health, economy and social dynamics, we decided to continue implementing the level 4 PPKM (public activity restrictions) from July 26 to August 2," Widodo said in a virtual press conference late Sunday.

Widodo asked people to be vigilant against the highly contagious Delta variant and possible emergence of other more dangerous strains, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Sunday that the level 3 restrictions are imposed in 33 districts and cities in Java and Bali, while the level 4, which is the highest level of restrictions, is implemented in 99 areas on the two islands.

"The implementation of level 4 and level 3 PPKM is assessed based on three main factors, namely the indicator of transmission rate and the response of the health system based on the World Health Organization guidelines, and the third indicator is the socio-economic condition of the community," Pandjaitan told a virtual press conference.

According to the Health Ministry, the country's overall Covid infection tally has increased to 3,166,505, while the death toll stood at 83,279.

The virus has spread to all of the country's 34 provinces and the Delta variant has contributed to the surge in cases in some regions.

Indonesia is accelerating its massive vaccination program while maintaining restrictions on public mobility in several regions amid the second wave of outbreak.