Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, the Cibodas Botanical Park in Cianjur regency, West Java announced good news about the blooming of a stinking corpse lily. 

On Friday, several mosques in Jakarta still held a mass Friday prayer, including a mosque in Tebet, South Jakarta, despite an Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa to avoid crowds.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has declared a state of  emergency for the next two weeks in the capital city in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of public transportation passengers especially in Jakarta has dropped by up to 70 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Jakarta City Council originally planned to hold a hearing on March 23 to choose between Gerindra Party politician Ahmad Riza Patria and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Nurmansyah Lubis to be Governor Anies Baswedan's second-in-command.

Questions arise as to how the health authorities make sure these people do not leave home and infect others.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan urged people in Jakarta to stay at home and refrain from traveling outside the city as a preventative measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Bima had taken the test after returning from a work-related trip to Turkey on Monday.

Keepers at Great Al-Azhom Mosque in Tangerang said they would still hold Friday prayers with a shorter sermon. They also advised the congregation to bring their own prayer mats.

The policy is in place to stem the transmission of the coronavirus as Jakarta continues to see a rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, which stood at 210 on Thursday, including 17 fatal cases.

The Jakarta Police have imposed no traffic raids and less ticketing policy to check on vehicles documents as part of efforts to curtail the spread of the fatal-respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the fast-spread novel coronavirus.

“LIPI is responsible for maintaining public health and safety amid the disease outbreak, and therefore we have closed those botanical gardens,” said LIPI head Laksana Tri Handoko on Thursday.

Where’s the fun in that? Public Order Agency raids internet cafes to send home students who don't respect the city-imposed curfew as schools remain closed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Amid the never-ending debate about whether river "normalization" or "naturalization" projects are better, some experts have urged policymakers to shift from such a conventional approach focusing on hard infrastructure to flood adaptation.

The decision can be altered if Istiqlal Mosque's grand imam and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issue new instructions.

City-owned bus operator Transjakarta will no longer accept cash for the purchase or top-up of e-money cards at all stations starting Thursday.

A number of scientists and activists have called for a lockdown in order to stem the spread of the virus, but President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Monday that the government was “not leaning toward issuing a lockdown policy”.

Jakarta Council speaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi said attendees of the plenary session would be limited to city councillors, Jakarta agencies heads and mayors.

The accident occurred at around 12:30 a.m., killing five passengers of the bus and injuring four others. Among the casualties was a toddler.

Floodwaters filled parts of Jakarta following heavy rain on Monday. 

Passenger capacity for the MRT would be limited to 360 passengers from 1,200 per trip, while LRT capacity would be limited to 80 people from 270.

“One patient, [a resident] of Pondok Aren district in South Tangerang, has died,” Banten Governor Wahidin Halim said at his official residence in Serang.

Following announcements by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan regarding the need for a city-wide lockdown of the capital to curb the spread of COVID-19, retailers fear the move would cripple Jakarta’s economy.

The failure of social-distancing measures among commuters has resulted in passenger chaos despite the President’s call to stay at home. Pictures disseminated on social media showed commuters — many wearing face masks — squeezing into packed buses and stations throughout the capital.

Loved by many, street vendors offering affordable and finger-licking-good fried chicken meals are becoming a popular destination for lunch and dinner.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Operational Region (Daop) 1 Jakarta spokesperson Eva Chairunisa said that while PT KAI would not reduce services, it would still take measures to prevent coronavirus infection on its trains.

In an effort to facilitate seamless commutes in the city, Jakarta-owned transportation company PT MRT Jakarta, the operator of the country's first subway system, expected to become the backbone of public transportation in the capital, will establish two new subsidiaries and a joint venture to develop an integrated public transport system.

City-owned bus operator Transjakarta is operating only13 of its 248 routes, with 20-minute headway expected for each bus. As a result, long lines began to accumulate at stations, stretching onto the streets at sidewalks.

The usually bustling city of Jakarta may seem less busy in the next few days as several major companies are instructing staff to work from home and, in some cases, are devising entirely new workflows over concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Popular tourist spots on the list include Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta, Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, the National Monument (Monas) and Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta, and Kota Tua in West Jakarta.