Indonesia to expand coronavirus testing in urban areas before easing curbs

JAKARTA - Indonesia will increase coronavirus testing in densely populated urban areas to prevent more major COVID-19 outbreaks, among measures the government will take before it begins easing mobility restrictions, a senior minister said on Wednesday.

Indonesia has one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks due to a rapid spread of the Delta variant, reporting around 1,000 deaths from the respiratory disease each day in the past week, including a new record on Wednesday of 1,383 fatalities. The number of daily new infections has fallen in recent days, with Wednesday's 33,772 the lowest since July 6 and a sharp drop from the 56,000 cases reported a week earlier.