Indonesia targets September reopening as it extends curbs until next week

JAKARTA: Indonesia aims to start gradually reopening its economy in September, a senior minister said on Monday, as the government announced an extension of curbs on movement until next week in some parts of the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, Indonesia has over the past month faced an exponential surge in coronavirus cases that has overwhelmed hospitals and seen COVID-19 deaths soar to record levels. But Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday the wave of infections had passed its peak, with daily confirmed cases on the decline.