The rising number of coronavirus cases in Jakarta has forced the capital’s administration to add 13 city-owned hospitals to the roster of COVID-19 referral hospitals that specifically treat patients with the disease. But as the hospitals prepare for their transformation, many challenges remain.

The Health Ministry has been called to review health protocol implementation at its own office.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan is in hot water for holding a final tribute to Jakarta secretary Saefullah, who died after contracting COVID-19, by bringing his body in a hearse to City Hall before the burial on Wednesday.

The city administration reported that the cluster consisted of 139 confirmed cases.

The Jakarta administration has confirmed that 11 City Hall employees have tested positive for COVID-19. All of them were stationed at City Hall’s Block G building, which is temporarily closed.

The mutilated body of a 32-year-old male was found at Kalibata City Apartment in South Jakarta on Wednesday night. Parts of the body had been wrapped in a plastic bag and then put in a suitcase.

A workplace must shut down for at least three days if an employee tests positive for COVID-19. 

Indonesia has lost yet another senior government official to COVID-19 following the passing of the Jakarta administration's secretary Saefullah, who has spent the last 36 years of his life working for the capital.

The Indonesia Department Store Association (APBI) has reported that roughly 40 percent of total merchants in the city have been forced to stop their operations because of the curfews.

As of Wednesday, Bekasi has 118 active cases, with 1,149 recoveries and 71 deaths.

The provincial administration announced on Saturday that the 56-year-old official tested positive for COVID-19.

With the help of the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), teams from the city administration are monitoring 79,849 small to large companies that employ up to 2.1 million people.

The Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) has called on mosques across Jakarta to temporarily halt mass prayers as the capital is reimposing a partial lockdown, also known as large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), in the next two weeks.

The National Police are set to press criminal charges against a group of cyclists who rode down the Jagorawi toll road in Bogor regency, West Java on Sunday.

The Jakarta administration forced eight companies to close temporarily during inspections on Monday to curb the transmission of COVID-19.

The police have arrested a couple in Cijaku district, Lebak, Banten for their alleged roles in the death of their 8-year-old daughter.

Officers will be deployed to conduct city-wide inspections to ensure public compliance with health protocols, including the ban on social gatherings, said Jakarta Police spokesperson Yusri Yunus.

Dubbed Operasi Yustisi, the operation will be carried out in areas at high risk of becoming new COVID-19 clusters.

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta entered another period of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) on Monday with most office workers forced to once again shelter in place, but some remain unconvinced that the curbs will be able to contribute much to their protection – unless there is strict enforcement.

Aside from generally flouting the COVID-19 health protocol, some of Jakarta's residents were seen flouting long-established traffic rules as they rode their bicycles on the toll road on Sunday.

Bekasi to improve patient care, including by preparing a hotel designated for the isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. 

The Pondok Ranggon cemetery in East Jakarta has recorded the highest number of funerals in a week since its establishment as a COVID-19 burial location in March.

With no tough measures, new PSBB may not significantly reduce transmission, say experts

Anies added that COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms would no longer be allowed to self-isolate at home and would have to be quarantined in government facilities starting on Monday.

Jakarta administration secretary Saefullah and West Jakarta Mayor Uus Kuswanto have tested positive for COVID-19, officials reported on Saturday.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has said that the central government supports his decision to reimpose full large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the capital, despite several Cabinet members criticizing the move in the past few days.

As the number of confirmed cases and fatalities from COVID-19 continues to rise, the government has prepared an apartment tower from the former Kemayoran athletes village – now an emergency hospital for infected patients in Central Jakarta – to house asymptomatic coronavirus patients for isolation, a top official said on Saturday.

Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) will be back in place on Monday and presumably be lifted on Sept. 28.

The malls’ daily needs retailers may be allowed to stay open, and restaurants may be permitted to provide delivery services only.

Leaders of Jakarta's satellite cities are still undecided on whether they should follow the capital city in reimposing stricter COVID-19 restrictions that will take effect on Monday.