Indonesia, where cases of the coronavirus surged last month, will gradually ease restrictions in the capital, Jakarta, and elsewhere as reports of new cases decline. Places of worship and restaurants will be allowed to operate at 25 percent of their capacity, while shopping centers may stay open until 8 p.m. at up to 50 percent of their capacity, President Joko Widodo said. On Tuesday, restaurants, malls and places of worship were set to reopen in the densely populated island of Java, which includes Jakarta and has a population of about 140 million, and Bali, a popular resort island, as well as other regions. Cases in Indonesia peaked in mid-July but have since declined by 78 percent, Mr. Widoo said at a virtual news briefing on Monday. He added that the number of people recovering from the virus is now higher than the number of people testing positive for it.

Source: International New York Times August 24, 2021 23:48 UTC