Coronavirus: Jokowi, ministers get flak for not wearing masks

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) was seen without a mask while leading a limited Cabinet meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. PHOTO: SEKRETARIAT KABINET/TWITTER

JAKARTA • Indonesia recorded 1,815 new coronavirus infections yesterday, bringing the total number of cases in the South-east Asian country to 116,871, data by the country's Health Ministry showed.

There were 64 additional deaths, taking the overall number of fatalities to 5,452, the data showed.

Indonesia's cumulative tally meant it still has the most cases among the 10 South-east Asian countries, with the Philippines reporting 3,462 new cases to bring the total to 115,980.

Separately, the Indonesian State Palace vowed compliance with health protocol on Tuesday after President Joko Widodo and several ministers faced criticism on social media for not wearing masks in photographs taken during a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

In the photos posted on the Cabinet Secretariat's Twitter account, Mr Joko was seen without a mask while leading a limited Cabinet meeting discussing the Covid-19 pandemic and the national economic recovery at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Six ministers sat around him, also with no masks.

Social media users took to Twitter to remind Mr Joko and his ministers to wear masks during the pandemic.

REUTERS, THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 06, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: Jokowi, ministers get flak for not wearing masks. Subscribe