Jakarta – The divorce rate has increased significantly in Bandung, West Java, as the government eased COVID-19 restrictions in the so-called new normal period, after the rate had dropped significantly during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) period.

The Bandung Religious Court office received 433 divorce requests in March. In April, the number dropped to only 103, although it rose again to 207 in May.

The number soared in June, as 706 couples had filed for divorce as of Wednesday, religious court chief Acep Saifuddin told kompas.com.

He said the drop in divorce requests might have been caused by restrictions imposed by the court, such as allowing people to file for divorce by online means only.

"After the start of the new normal policy, we reopened our registration desk as stipulated in the Supreme Court regulation. This allows more couples to file for divorce," Acep said on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The court chief went on to say that couples had cited various reasons for their divorce, ranging from financial issues to household disputes.

Several countries have reported an increase in divorce rates amid social restrictions and quarantine in the COVID-19-stricken regions. China's Global Times earlier reported that being stuck at home led to conflict in many couples, causing divorce appointments to tick up. (kuk)

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/06/27/divorce-rate-soars-in-bandung-during-new-normal.html