Jakarta, Dec 29 (IANS): The average bed occupancy rate (BOR) for Covid-19 patients in Indonesia has reached 64.10 per cent, above the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard of 60 per cent, amid fears of a resurgence after the Christmas and year-end holidays, the Health Ministry said.

On Monday, the Ministry's Director General of Health Services, Abdul Kadir, said there are eight provinces that have the BOR above the national average, namely Banten 85 per cent, Jakarta 84 per cent, West Java 83 per cent, Yogyakarta 82 per cent, Central Kalimantan 79 per cent, East Java 77 per cent, Central Java 76 per cent, and South Sulawesi 69 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.

"If there are even a few more patients in these provinces, hospitals would be overwhelmed, services would not be optimal, and eventually, the death rate would increase," Kadir said while addressing a virtual conference.

In anticipation of the collapse of hospitals and medical services, the government has asked the provincial health offices and hospital directors to add 30-40 per cent more of the total existing beds.

The government has also added 1,297 more beds for 34 public hospitals that handle Covid-19 patients.

Indonesia has so far recorded 719,219 coronavirus cases, 589,978 recoveries and 21,452 deaths.