Indonesia makes mask-wearing mandatory

Indonesia has become the latest country to make it compulsory for everyone to wear face masks outside, with a new rule kicking in on Sunday.

Health authorities are urging people to wear cloth masks so that medical-grade face masks will still be available for frontline workers.

There’s concern over Indonesia’s growing number of cases and deaths, and its capability to handle an outbreak. Officially it has close to 2,300 positive cases. But the country is vast, comprising of thousands of far-flung islands, and there is a serious lack of testing. Some estimate as few as 2% of infections are being reported.

The country also has the highest death toll from the virus in Asia after China, with about 200 coronavirus-related deaths – again, these are only officially reported figures and the true figure is still unknown.

There are also deep fears that the pandemic may overwhelm the healthcare system, which is already considered poor even in good times, particularly in rural areas.

Read more via Jakarta Globe