Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia reported 1,693 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Monday with Jakarta, Central Java and East Java becoming the main drivers, according to the National Covid-19 Task Force.

The country has accumulated 88,214 cases since the outbreak to outnumber China, where the global pandemic originated. China has recorded 85,314 cases as of Monday, according to the global tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The number of Covid-19 deaths jumped by 96, the second highest daily fatalities after a record 127 a day earlier, bringing the total death toll to 4,239.

Jakarta recorded 361 new cases in the day, the highest among the country's 34 provinces, to confirm its return as the epicenter of the Indonesian outbreak.

The capital city has a total of 16,899 cases, including 745 deaths. Overall, it came second after worst-hit East Java, which has 18,545 cases including 1,433 deaths.

However, Jakarta has reported higher daily cases than East Java five times in the past seven days. East Java added 237 new cases on Monday.

The Jakarta government has introduced the so-called corona likelihood metric (CLM) application to track residents who might unknowingly have contracted the virus.

Governor Anies Baswedan encouraged residents to download the app in a video message aired on Monday.

"We expect 80 percent of Jakarta residents will install the app so that we can better control the outbreak," Anies said.

The app helps user determine if they need a swab test after filling in answers over questions related to their health conditions.

Anies also asked the use of megaphones in 9,000 mosques across the capital to regularly remind residents about the basic health protocols during the pandemic, including the wearing of mask in public, hand hygiene and physical distancing.

Central Java

The virus is spreading beyond control in Central Java, where a record 354 new infections were detected in the 24-hour period to take its total to 7,286 cases. The province has beaten its own daily record four times this week.

Moreover, 36 Covid-19 patients have died in Central Java in the last 24 hours, taking its total death toll to 1,433. It was the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities in the day, followed by 32 deaths in East Java.

Central Java has emerged as new hotspot since mid-June, when it surpassed the country's biggest province of West Java as the fourth province with the most coronavirus cases.

South Sulawesi remained the third most-affected province with 8,164 cases, 125 more from yesterday.

Gorontalo province in the northern part of Sulawesi island reported a sudden surge with 105 new cases, the first time it hit a three-digit daily figure. The single-day increase accounted for 19.6 percent of the province's 537 cases overall.

The number of recovered Covid-19 patients soared by 1,576 nationwide, the second highest daily rise after a record 2,133 in the previous day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 46,977. It means that 53 percent of people with coronavirus in Indonesia have been cured or discharged from hospitals.

Southeast Asia's biggest country still has nearly 37,000 active cases.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jakarta-reports-most-covid19-cases-surge-continues-in-central-java