JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia reported on Saturday 396 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number to 8,607, data provided by health ministry official Achmad Yurianto showed.
Thirty one more people who had tested positive for the virus died, taking the total number of deaths to 720, according to the data.
The world’s fourth most populous country has been hit hard by the virus, with the highest numbers of deaths in Asia outside of China.
U.S president Donald Trump announced on Friday he would be sending ventilators and unspecified help to Indonesia at the request of President Joko Widodo.
The Indonesian presidential palace said in a statement that Trump and Widodo held a call on Friday to discuss ways to collaborate during the pandemic, including on how to overcome the protective gear and masks shortages faced by both countries.
The statement said Trump had agreed to “strengthen partnerships in trade and economics” between the United States and Indonesia after recovery from the coronavirus outbreak.
(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Maikel Jefriando; Writing by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
