Indonesia faces oxygen crisis amid worsening Covid surge

Indonesia’s government has ordered oxygen producers to prioritise medical needs as a surge in Covid cases has led to shortages in a number of cities.

Hospitals say they are struggling at the limit of their capacity, with one reporting that 63 patients died as it grappled with depleting oxygen.

The country is currently recording more than 25,000 new cases every day.

The crisis is attributed to increased travel and the more contagious delta variant spreading through the country.

Indonesia has had the worst Covid outbreak in South East Asia, with about 2.3 million positive cases and more than 60,000 deaths so far.

However, experts warn that the overall numbers are potentially much higher because of severely inadequate testing outside the capital Jakarta.

A lockdown was announced in the country’s main island Sumatra, as well as in the tourist island of Bali last week.