Indonesia tightens social restrictions in Jakarta, Bali and
  2 other cities as COVID-19 cases surge 

  Indonesia is tightening social restrictions in Greater Jakarta, Bali, Bandung and Yogyakarta amid a
  spike in Covid-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. 

  The authorities expect the surge in cases to peak later this month, and the government said on Monday,
  February 7, 2022, that the number of people allowed in public places in the four cities will be restricted. 

  Restaurants, cafes, shopping malls must again limit visitors and operate at 60 per cent capacity,
  playgrounds and entertainment centres at 35 per cent capacity, and places of worship at 50 percent. 

  Mr Luhut Pandjaitan, the senior minister in charge of coordinating efforts to contain Covid-19 on the
  country’s most populous island of Java as well as Bali, said the government will now look at the ratio of
  hospital bed occupation and contact tracing when evaluating if a city required tighter restrictions. 

  Java and Bali account for 60 percent of Indonesia’s more than 270 million population. 

  “Frankly, we do not want people to get frightened and the economy affected, while in fact the real problem
  may not actually be as bad. We are closely monitoring the situation this week. If things are good, we may
  ease restrictions next week,” Mr Luhut told reporters during an online media briefing on Monday. 

  About 65 percent of patients in hospital for Covid-19 have no or mild symptoms, he disclosed, adding that
  they should instead self-isolate at home or be sent to a designated isolation facility. 

  Government data shows that currently, 18,966 hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, which is
  less than 20 percent of the 120,000 set aside for them. Indonesia has a total of about 400,000 hospital
  beds nationwide. 

  Said Health Minister Budi Sadikin, who was also at the same online media briefing: “It’s important the
  public understand that cases will spike. In other countries, Omicron cases are doubled or tripled that of
  Delta. What is important is we continue to comply with health protocols so that hospitalisation and death
  numbers are low.” 

  Delta is the more deadly of the two coronavirus variants, but Omicron is far more transmissible. 

  Indonesia was hit by a Covid-19 wave in early 2021, and this was followed by a more devastating one,
  dominated by the Delta variant in the middle of the year, which saw daily new cases exceed 50,000
  at its peak. 

  The second wave pushed hospitals and healthcare workers to the limit.  

  “Do not panic when seeing high case numbers because what matters more are hospitalisation and
  death numbers, which are far lower and under control,” Mr Budi said. 

  “If patients comply with the Health Ministry’s directives, the number of hospitalised patients would have
  been 60 to 70 percent lower. Hospitals should be only for those who need them,” Mr Budi later
  told reporters. 

  Nearly half or 42 percent of the 356 Covid-19 patients who died since mid-December, when the Omicron
  variant was first detected in the country, suffered other underlying conditions. Many of those who died, or
  44 per cent, were elderly and 69 percent were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. 

  Mr Budi noted that three regions in Indonesia have recorded daily cases surpassing their respective peaks
  during the Delta wave.  

  Jakarta had 14,600 daily new cases at the peak of the Delta wave but is reporting 15,800 now. Banten
  province, which had 3,900 then, has 4,800 now, and Bali, with 1,900 previously, has 2,000 now. 

  Indonesia is much better prepared for a third Covid-19 wave, with centralised isolation centres set up and
  ample supply of oxygen and medicine, as well as medical staff. 

  In January, the country received its first shipment of two types of Covid-19 antiviral pills – molnupiravir
  made by Merck, and paxlovid by Pfizer – and is set to start producing locally in April. 

  A telemedicine service in Jakarta, where patients can consult doctors and get free Covid-19 medicine 
  delivered to their doorstep, will be expanded to Bandung, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta and Denpasar. 

  The world’s fourth-most populous nation has fully vaccinated 107 million people, with 160 million partially
  vaccinated as at the end of 2021. 

  Source: TheStraitsTimes 

  Indonesia’s economy grew 3.69% in 2021 

  Indonesia’s economy as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) based on current prices reached
  Rp 16.96 quadrillion in 2021. Meanwhile, its GDP based on constant prices grew 3.69% to Rp 11.12
  quadrillion in 2021 compared to 2020. 

  In 2020, Indonesia’s domestic economy shrunk 2.07% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

  On the production side, the highest growth was seen among the health services and social activity
  sector of 10.46% compared to last year. Meanwhile, on the expense side, export of goods and services
  saw the highest growth at 24.04% in 2021. 

  The manufacturing sector continues to be the strongest pillar of the country’s economic growth,
  contributing Rp 3.27 quadrillion or 19.25% of the total GDP growth in 2021, followed by the agriculture
  sector with Rp 2.25 quadrillion (13.28%) and then trade with RP 2.2 quadrillion (12.97%). 

  Meanwhile on the expense side, household consumption make up 54.42% of the total GDP in 2021 or
  Rp 9.4 quadrillion, followed by gross fixed capital formation with Rp 5.23 quadrillion or 30.81% of GDP. 

  In spatial terms, the national economic structure continues to be dominated by provinces in Java,
  which contributed 57.89% of the total GDP in 2021. 

  Source: Katadata 

  Canada bridge protesters cleared by police after a week
  of disruption 

  Police have cleared the remaining protesters blocking a key bridge between Canada and the
  United States, after a week of disruption. 

  Canada's protests against Covid vaccine certification to cross the border have paralysed trade across
  the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario. 

  A judge issued an order on Friday to break up the protest, but dozens of demonstrators remained
  in defiance. 

  Police have now cleared the road, though the bridge remains closed. 

  In a statement, police said Sunday's action resulted in over a dozen arrests on a charge of mischief - which
  refers to damage or interference with property. 

 
  Multiple vehicles were also seized, police said, none of the arrests became violent. 

  The clearing effort first began on Saturday morning, when many of the vehicles involved left peacefully
  on police orders. But as news of the police action spread, more protesters turned up, temporarily
  swelling the crowd. 

  But by Sunday morning, only a few dozen people remained, and police resumed their operation. 

  Within hours, only a small number of stragglers remained on the sidelines, though police vehicles,
  rather than protesters, continue to block off the road to the Ambassador Bridge. 

  Windsor police warned people to avoid the area of the bridge, tweeting: "Enforcement will continue in
  the demonstration area and there will be zero tolerance for illegal activity." 

  Officials say they hope to reopen the bridge later on Sunday. 

  Source: BBC