The COVID-19 positive cases in Indonesia continued to rise to 56,385 cases, with 71 more deaths reported within 24 hours since noon yesterday.

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, through his official twitter @jokowi, has directed the provincial governments not to relax the large-scale social distancing (PSBB) rule if the number of positive cases continue to rise.

“If it is not the time, do not relax the PSBB rule. If it is enforced, monitor and evaluate. If the situation goes up (case increases), then close again," he said on his twitter page.

Several provinces, including Jakarta, have begun imposing the transition or recovery process by allowing some socio-economic activities to re-open since mid-June, including houses of worship, offices, shopping malls and recreation centres.

According to the Indonesian government’s spokesperson on COVID-19, Achmad Yurianto, 1,293 new positive cases were reported within 24 hours since noon yesterday and the death toll was now 2,876 people.

“A total of 13,182 patients are still under observation for COVID-19," he said at his daily press conference broadcast via the official YouTube of the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

The East Java province has the highest number of death, involving 893 cases, followed by Jakarta (632 cases), South Kalimantan (189) and West Java (176). - BERNAMA