Indonesia to bring in emergency measures after spike in COVID-19 cases

Local disaster mitigation agency personnel in personal protective equipment (PPE) carry the coffin of a person who passed away due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a funeral in Tegal, Central Java province, Indonesia, June 30, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Oky Lukmansyah via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT.

JAKARTA (Reuters) -President Joko Widodo said on Thursday that Indonesia will bring in emergency measures running until July 20 aimed at containing an exponential spike in coronavirus cases that has strained the country's medical system.

There has been a near vertical climb in virus cases in the world's fourth most populous nation in recent weeks, prompting health experts to warn that the outbreak could be as bad as India's devastating second wave if tighter measures are not introduced.