Indonesia to Open Malls, Entertainment Sites as Virus Cases Rise
A worker wearing a protective mask waters the plants outside the Plaza Indonesia shopping mall during a partial lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus in Jakarta on May 27.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian/BloombergThe Indonesian government will gradually open shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment sites from June in an attempt to jump-start the pandemic-hit economy, even as coronavirus cases continue to climb.
Resumption of activities will be prioritized in so-called green zones, which are areas with a coronavirus reproduction rate below 1, according to the Trade Ministry. There are currently 100 such green zones scattered across eight provinces, including the country’s capital Jakarta. Semarang, the capital of Central Java province, is deemed as one of the most ready locations, said Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto in a statement Friday.