Jakarta declares 2-week emergency, public entertainment to halt as COVID-19 spreads

Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, has declared a two-week emergency amid growing cases of the novel coronavirus, while public entertainment would halt from Monday and restrictions be imposed on public transport.

The effect of social distancing and work-from-home policy has created a significant decrease in the number of public transportation passengers amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Jakarta Post reported.

As of Friday afternoon, Indonesia's death toll from COVID-19 rose to 32 while the number of cases reached 369.

Jakarta has recorded the highest death toll in the country with 18 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Bali has recorded three new confirmed cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to four. The new cases comprise a French tourist, an Indonesian cruise ship crew member who had just returned from coronavirus-hit Italy and a Bali resident who had just returned from the Indonesian capital.

The virus first originated in China in December last year and has infected 245,400 people and claimed more than 10,000 lives, as per the data presented by Johns Hopkins University.