Indonesian Police Block Streets on First Day of Tougher COVID-19 Curbs
Voice of America
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Indonesian police threw up roadblocks and more than 400 checkpoints on the islands of Java and Bali to ensure hundreds of millions of people stayed home on Saturday, the first day of stricter curbs on movement to limit the spread of COVID-19.
As it battles one of Asia's worst coronavirus outbreaks, the world's fourth-most-populous nation has seen record new infections on eight of the past 12 days, with Friday bringing 25,830 cases and a high of 539 deaths. "We are setting up (patrols) in 21 locations where typically there are crowds," Istiono, the head of national traffic police, who goes by one name, told a news conference late on Friday. "Where there are street stalls and cafes, we will close those streets, maybe from around 6 p.m. until 4 a.m." Saturday's more stringent curbs, from tighter travel checks to a ban on restaurant dining and outdoor sports and the closure of non-essential workplaces, will run until July 20, but could be extended, if needed, to bring daily infections below 10,000.Young women and their coach Dioguinho bring it in for a team huddle at the start of a football training session run by the Bola de Ouro social program, at the Complexo da Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 16, 2024. Agatha strikes a ball during a football training session run by the Bola de Ouro social program, at the Complexo da Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 16, 2024. Relatives watch a football training session for young women run by the Bola de Ouro social program at the Complexo da Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 16, 2024.
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