Indonesia prepares infrastructure for worst-case coronavirus scenario

JAKARTA: Indonesia has prepared backup medical facilities for a worst-case scenario where daily coronavirus infections reach 40,000 to 50,000, a senior official said on Tuesday, as the country battles its fastest-spreading outbreak so far.

Indonesia has one of Asia's worst COVID-19 epidemics, exacerbated by the presence of the highly infectious Delta variant, with hospitals overstretched, oxygen supply issues and a growing numbers of sick unable to receive medical attention. Southeast Asia's largest and most populous country has seen record daily increase in coronavirus infections in 10 of the past 15 days, with the death toll passing 500 on several days. Its vaccination rate remains low.