Indonesia expects a new wave of coronavirus infections will peak in early July, as the highly transmissible delta variant becomes more dominant in some areas.

COVID-19 infections in the world’s fourth most populous country have been on the rise in recent weeks since holidays at the end of the Muslim fasting month.

The delta variant was now more dominant in areas like Jakarta and other parts of Java, Health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a news conference on June 14.

At least 60 cases of the variant had been detected in Kudus, Central Java, where hospitals were more than 90 percent full.

On June 13, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said hospital occupancy rates in the city of 10 million had hit 75 percent and infections jumped by 50 percent in the past week and if the situation got worse, authorities might have to consider re-imposing restrictions.

Authorities plan to increase hospital capacity by 40 percent in Jakarta, while hotels will be converted into quarantine centres, chief economics minister Airlangga Hartarto said on June 14.

Indonesia has officially reported more than 1.9 million coronavirus infections and 53,116 deaths. On June 14, the country recorded around 10,000 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number since February.

However, Indonesian President Joko Widodo is still upbeat about Jakarta achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 in August 2021, saying to that end, the capital city has to reach the daily vaccination target of 100,000 doses starting from next week.

Source: VNA