Indonesia’s confirmed COVID-19 case number has exceeded 500,000 as the country continues to endure the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly nine months since it reported the first infections in March.

The national COVID-19 task force recorded 4,442 new cases on Monday, bringing the total nationwide tally to 502,110 cases -- the highest among Southeast Asian countries.

Jakarta remains the national epicenter with a total of 128,173 coronavirus cases reported – the largest concentration of COVID-19 patients in the archipelagic nation.

The capital recorded the highest single-day surge in COVID-19 infections with 1,579 cases on Sunday, prompting the city administration to extend once again the so-called transitional large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), which will remain in place until at least Dec. 6.

As of Monday afternoon, Indonesia has also logged more than 16,000 deaths. East Java reported the largest number of fatalities in the country with 4,184.

A number of regions across the archipelago, including Jakarta, have gradually relaxed mobility restrictions in recent weeks as the central government and regional administration were keen to rejuvenate the national economy in light of the country’s first recession since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

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