Jakarta sets curfew for restaurants, malls to curb coronavirus spread

Jakarta is limiting activities at various public places until Jan 8, 2021, with places like restaurants and shopping malls shut by 9pm. PHOTO: AFP

JAKARTA (BLOOMBERG) - Indonesia's capital is stepping up movement restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus as more people are set to travel to and from the city over the year-end holiday.

Jakarta, already a hotbed of Covid-19 cases in the country, is limiting activities at various public places from Friday until Jan 8, 2021, according to a statement Thursday.

Offices must close by 7pm, while restaurants, shopping malls, movie theatres and tourist sites must shut by 9pm. On Christmas and New Year public holidays, recreational sites must close by 7pm.

Officials will also increase monitoring of those travelling into the city and will check that travellers can show the negative results for their rapid antigen tests. Public transport will operate until 8pm only.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has implemented movement restrictions on the city of more than 10 million people since April, with several rounds of easing and tightening of the rules since.

The capital accounts for a quarter of the country's total confirmed virus cases. Mr Baswedan himself had tested positive for coronavirus, along with his deputy.

The central government has already cut short Indonesia's year-end holiday from an 11-day stretch to curb South-east Asia's worst coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 650,000 cases reported so far.

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