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JAKARTA: The Indonesian capital of Jakarta will begin a two-week “transitional” period of easing coronavirus restrictions starting Monday (October 12) after the pace of infections slowed in the past two weeks, said the Governor Anies Baswedan.
The city of about 11 million people in Southeast Asia’s largest economy again imposed stricter social restrictions starting in mid-September, after a surge in virus infections put stress on its health services.
“We need to emphasize that discipline must remain high so that the transmission chain remains under control and we do not have to make an emergency brake again,” Baswedan said in a statement Sunday.
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The new measures allow non-essential businesses to work from offices, but using only half their capacity, while customers dining in restaurants are also limited to 50 percent of their capacity.
Parks and museums will start to open with some restrictions, while all businesses must follow a strict hygiene protocol and keep their visitor details for contact tracing purposes.
Baswedan added that the relaxation comes after a drop in numbers testing positive for the virus as patients in Jakarta’s intensive care units declined, with occupancy rates falling to 67 percent on Saturday, from the 83 percent on September 13.
Indonesia’s national tally stood at 328,952 infections, with 11,765 deaths as of Saturday, and Jakarta accounting for 85,617 cases and 1,877 deaths.
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