Indonesia has reported 1,054 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily increase in three months, as the government braces for a new wave of coronavirus infections driven by the spread of the Omicron variant, reports Reuters.

The world's fourth most populous country grappled with a devastating second wave of infections in July, driven by the spread of the Delta variant. Daily case numbers dropped to around 200 by December, before rising this month amid reports of local transmission of the Omicron variant.

“Local transmission has been found and Jakarta has become an infection cluster,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a statement. “We need to coordinate with regional government to tighten mobility and strengthen health protocols, [give] booster vaccine shots and strengthen health facilities.”