Jakarta, Aug 10 (IANS): The Indonesian government has extended the public activity restrictions, locally known as PPKM, in Java and Bali until August 16, while reopening shopping centres as the number COovid-19 cases has declined in these islands, senior ministers said.
"The trial of reopening shopping centres and malls will be carried out in capital Jakarta, Bandung (West Java), Surabaya (East Java), and Semarang (Central Java), with a maximum capacity of 25 per cent over the next week," Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Monday.
Under strict health protocols, those who are allowed to enter the shopping centres are only people aged from 13 to 69 years old who have been vaccinated against the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said the policy on the restrictions outside Java and Bali was extended for two weeks until August 23.
The surge in Covid-19 cases has shifted to areas outside Java and Bali since the last week of July, especially those in the provinces of East Kalimantan, North Sumatra, Papua, West Sumatra, and Riau.
The Southeast Asian country has so far recorded a total of 3,686,740 cases of Covid-19, with 3,129,661 recoveries and 108,571 deaths.