Jakarta. Indonesia reported 3,509 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, the lowest daily number in almost two weeks, to take the country’s total to 278,722.
The number of cured or discharged patients totaled 3,856, the first time in 10 days it beats newly confirmed cases.
The country also reported 87 more Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total death toll to 10,473. Around 3,000 Covid-19 patients have died since the beginning of the month, the highest monthly death toll so far.
Today’s decline in newly cases is attributable to the falling daily number in worst-hit Jakarta, which has recorded the lowest daily total fortnightly in the last 24 hours.
The capital city reported 898 new cases, ending a run of four-digit daily numbers for eight consecutive days.
Jakarta now has a total of 71,339 cases, including 1,695 deaths.
Coming next is East Java with a total of 43,174 cases, 284 more from yesterday. The province again reported the highest daily death toll, with 20 more for a total of 3,138.
Central Java added 304 more cases to take its total to 21,930, including 1,397 deaths. West Java is closing in on Central Java with 489 more cases, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 21,443. The two provinces were separated by more than 2,800 cases in the beginning of the month.
Newly-emerging hotspots in Sumatra are still facing an upward trend in daily cases, with Riau and West Sumatra reporting more than 200 cases each.
Riau has added 5,188 cases since the start of the month, more than any other hotspots outside Java Island, to join the top ten of worst-affected provinces with a total of 7,034 cases.
West Sumatra saw its total number more than double its figure in late August, standing at 5,926 as of Monday.
Meanwhile, East Kalimantan has added more than 4,000 cases month-to-date, bringing its total number of Covid-19 cases to 8,324.
It has been averaging 146 cases since Sept. 1, more than double the average in neighboring South Kalimantan, which emerged earlier as hotspot but now sees a slower growth in new cases.
South Kalimantan remains the sixth worst-affected province with 10,237 cases, but North Sumatra (10,123) will take over within the next few days with a bigger pace in transmission rate.
South Sulawesi, which has the biggest number of cases after the top four in Java, is experiencing a second wave of infections with an average of 121 cases this month, taking its total to 15,354. The province averaged only 82 cases in August.
Bali, in the top eight of worst-affected provinces, has recorded a total of 8,639 cases since the outbreak.
