Indonesia schools start cautious reopening after devastating virus wave

An employee wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) sprays disinfectant after a class as schools reopen on a trial basis after the government extended restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 30, 2021. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's capital Jakarta reopened 600 of its schools on Monday as coronavirus restrictions eased, though a teacher federation urged caution and warned of clusters in classrooms caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Jakarta's infection rate has dropped, authorities said, from a peak last month that saw Indonesia become Asia's coronavirus epicentre, with more than 4 million cases and 131,000 fatalities overall.