Indonesia considers broader curbs as coronavirus crisis deepens

COVID-19 - JAKARTA. Indonesia is finalising emergency measures aimed at controlling Southeast Asia's worst coronavirus epidemic, its president said on Wednesday, as the country reported record COVID-19 cases for the second day this week.

President Joko Widodo said authorities were mulling whether to tighten restrictions for one week or two weeks and urged the public to remain vigilant and focus less on the health of the economy.

"Today it will be finalised, because the spike is very high," the president, better known as Jokowi, told a business event, referring to the emergency protocols.

"I ask that we all be careful and don't let our guard down. Don't just talk about the economy, while we don't see the health aspect," Jokowi said.

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Indonesia reported 21,807 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and 467 deaths, one of six days of record cases since June 21.

Movement curbs were tightened last week in so-called "red zone" areas where cases have jumped, but health experts said those were insufficient.

Social mobility and the presence of highly transmissible variants has been blamed for a surge that has pushed many hospitals to their limits.

Bed occupancy ratio was at 72% nationally, Jokowi said, although some local authorities have reported rates far higher, including Jakarta.

In a bid to halve the current daily cases to below 10,000, Indonesia is proposing tighter restrictions on movement and air travel, a ban on restaurant dining and closure of non-essential offices, according to a government document seen by Reuters.