The Jakarta Post
Indonesia must contend with new confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths that are concentrated in several regions across the country, putting a strain on local healthcare facilities. The country saw on Wednesday another record-breaking 5,535 new cases of COVID-19, shattering the previous daily record. Leading the way are two provinces that reported four-digit growth: the Jakarta capital region and Central Java, with 1,273 and 1,008 new cases respectively. During a virtual media briefing on Wednesday, the head of the Central Java Health Agency, Yulianto Prabowo, said that hospitals in several regions were seeing their occupancy rates soar. At least 253 out of the available 402 intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the region had been occupied as of Tuesday, Yulianto said. He noted, however, that the referral system was still in place and that other hospitals were still available. He...