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Health minister leads push for stricter curbs in COVID-ravaged Indonesia

Municipality workers carry a coffin at a cemetery in Jakarta, Indonesia April, 22, 2020. — REUTERS/WILLY KURNIAWAN/FILE PHOTO

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s health minister is leading a push for stricter controls as coronavirus cases surge to unprecedented levels, according to sources familiar with government discussions.

Coronavirus infections in Indonesia have tripled in the past month, overwhelming hospitals in the capital Jakarta and other centers on the heavily populated island of Java.

On Sunday, the country posted its fifth record daily high for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the past week, with 21,342 people confirmed as positive, equivalent to over a quarter of those tested.

Three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had urged tougher social restriction measures but was overruled. He is continuing to push his case, they said. One of the sources said government meetings on the issue would take place this week.

Citing the need to safeguard Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, Indonesia has rejected the lockdowns imposed by its neighbors and similar large developing countries like India. Instead, Jakarta has opted for social restrictions targeting villages and neighborhoods deemed “red zones” due to high infections, a policy known as PPKM Mikro.

President Joko Widodo on Friday said the current strategy was working but needed better enforcement.

Last week, the head of the country’s COVID-19 taskforce, coordinating economy minister Airlangga Hartarto, banned religious activities at houses of worship, closed schools and bars and required offices, restaurants, cafes and malls to operate at 25% capacity in red zones for two weeks.

When Reuters enquired if the health minister wanted greater curbs on social mobility, a ministry spokesperson replied “in accordance with the current policy”.

A spokesman for the president said: “Until now, we still have PPKM Mikro, empirically it is still very effective to control small areas.”

INEFFECTIVE
The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) on Sunday called on the government to implement large-scale restrictions, especially across the island of Java, home to more than half the country’s population of 270 million people.

The IDI said that 24 regencies and cities had reported isolation bed capacity at 90% full, while intensive care units in several areas were nearing 100% capacity and 30 doctors had died in June from COVID-19.

“If there is no firm intervention we will be like India,” said Dr. Adib Khumaidi, head of the IDI’s mitigation team, noting the surge in cases in the South Asian nation in April and May and the “collapse” of its health care system.

Earlier last week, the World Health Organization and the Indonesian Hospital Association also called for tighter controls.

Public health experts have warned the government’s current policy for social restrictions can’t be fully implemented by poorly resourced local officials and don’t account for people moving between red zones and other areas.

How villages and neighborhoods are designated red zones is opaque and undermined by low rates of testing and contact tracing that masks the true extent of Indonesia’s overall infection rate, they said.

Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Griffith University in Australia, estimated half of people in red zones didn’t follow instructions to work from home.

“My analysis from the last five months of the PPKM program is that it hasn’t been effective in the field,” he told Reuters.

One source said that, among several options, presidential advisers were examining the lockdowns in India, where a fivefold increase in infections in little over a month was fully reversed in a similar time frame.

If guidelines followed by Indian states were adopted in Indonesia, lockdowns would be introduced in 31 of its 34 provinces where positivity rates are at 10 per cent or higher.

Adjusting for population size, Indonesia has about 40% of the intensive care beds in India, according to a study last year by Princeton University.

On Friday, the health minister announced plans for 7,000 more hospital beds in Jakarta dedicated to COVID-19 patients. — Reuters

Oh deer! Nude sunbathers who fled animal fined for lockdown breach

UNSPLASH

SYDNEY — Australian authorities have fined two nude beach sunbathers for breaching a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown after they ran into a forest on being surprised by a wild deer and got lost, an incident that  went viral on social media.

The men were among 44 people fined at the weekend for infringing curbs in Sydney and surrounding areas meant to rein in an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant that has spread to both coasts.

“They were startled by a deer, ran into the national park, and got lost,” Mick Fuller, police commissioner of the most populous state of New South Wales, told a daily briefing, describing Sunday’s incident.

“Not only did they require assistance from (emergency services) and police to rescue them, they also both received a ticket.”

In a statement, police said the men had called for help after getting lost in bushland near a remote beach in Royal National Park, a 15,000-hectare (37,000-acre) coastal stretch just south of Sydney that is home to at least one nudist beach.

Emergency crews supported by a police rescue helicopter found a naked 30-year-old man carrying a backpack on a walking track and a 49-year-old who was partially clothed, police added.

The government did not comment on Mr. Fuller’s Monday disclosure, but some lawmakers joined in a Twitter frenzy that sent the word “deer” trending.

“A good reminder. A COVID health breach results in very deer fines,” New South Wales opposition leader Chris Minns said in a post.

Deer are not native to Australia but about 2,000 of the southeast Asian Rusa breed live in the park since the animals were introduced a century ago, said volunteer group Friends of the Royal National Park. — Reuters

Kaya FC seeks bounce-back win at AFC Champions League

KAYA FC-ILOILO seeks to bounce back after being dealt a loss in its AFC Champions League debut match at the weekend. — AFC

KAYA FC-Iloilo returns to 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (CL) action on Tuesday, looking to bounce back from a rough welcome it had in its debut match previously.

The Philippine club will take on Viettel FC of Vietnam in its second game in Group F of the tournament at the Pathum Thani Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

It will be a battle between two teams which dropped their opening group matches in the 2021 edition of the prestigious continental competition.

Kaya found the going tough in its ACL group stage debut last Saturday, dominated by the hometown champion BG Pathum United, 4-1.

Despite competing hard, the team just could not get the break it needed to keep in step with its opponent.

It, however, got a breakthrough goal late in the match from Marwin Angeles (81’) to have something to build on heading into its next match.

“I’m very proud of our side, our boys gave 100%. They worked very hard… They did everything we asked of them before the game. I think for us now, we need to make sure we get up, stand up, and go again,” said Kaya coach Graham Harvey after the game.

Adding, “Obviously, it’s not nice to lose and we’d rather not experience that for the next five games, but we’re also very glad to be here and learn from those experiences and make sure that we come back stronger.”

Kaya’s opponent Viettel, for its part, was dealt a 0-1 defeat by reigning ACL champion Ulsan Hyundai FC of Korea in its opener also on June 26.

Viettel was seemingly on its way to holding Ulsan Hyundai to a nil-nil draw until the latter scored in the 91st minute from substitute Lukas Hinterseer to score the victory.

Despite the loss, Viettel remains upbeat and is looking to do better in its remaining assignments.

“I want to say it was a good game for us. We had good fighting spirit,” said head coach Heinz-Jürgen Gede post-match.

Group I play

Meanwhile, reigning Philippines Football League champion United City Football Club, who plays in Group I at the ACL, also returns to the pitch on Tuesday against Korea’s Daegu FC at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

United City was held to a 1-1 draw by Beijing FC of China in its opening match.

Stephan Schröck scored first for United City in the 28th minute of the contest but was answered by Beijing FC captain Liang Showen in the 73rd minute with a free kick.

United City tried to regroup and create chances for the go-ahead goal, but Beijing FC’s defense held steady en route to the match ending in a stalemate and the teams getting a point each.

Coach Jason Withe of United City admitted his disappointment after the game, feeling they allowed a good opportunity to get a full three points to slip away.

“I’m very disappointed. I think we dominated for large periods of the game. You look at possession, it’s probably 70 percent possession for us, one shot on goal [for Beijing], which was obviously a great free kick,” he said.

In the AFC Champions League, the top teams in each of the groupings advance to the Round of 16 with the second-place clubs qualifying if they end up as among the best runner-up teams. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Khris Middleton, Bucks stop Hawks with big 4th quarter

MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) shoots a three point shot through four Atlanta Hawks players. — REUTERS

KHRIS Middleton scored a game-high 38 points, including 20 during the fourth quarter, to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 113-102 win over the host Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.

Middleton added 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks seized a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for Milwaukee; Bobby Portis contributed 15 points off the bench; Jrue Holiday shot two of 11 but had a team-high 12 assists.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting, including six of 14 from beyond the arc. Danilo Gallinari (18 points), John Collins (13) and Kevin Huerter (11) also scored in double digits.

The Bucks outscored the Hawks (30-17) in the fourth quarter to win their second straight game.

Young sprained his right ankle in the last minute of the third quarter when he inadvertently stepped on an official’s foot. He limped to the locker room but returned to the game with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks sharpshooter struggled to find his rhythm after returning, and the Bucks took advantage.

The Bucks had a 7-0 run to go up 82-80 with 1:47 left in the third, but the Hawks answered with two free throws from Young and a 3-pointer from Bogdan Bogdanović. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter with an 85-83 lead.

The score was tied at 56 at half time. Young led all scorers with 17 points at the break.

Atlanta opened the game on a 15-2 run that included a pair of dunks in transition by Clint Capela. Young added a 3-pointer from 36 feet and a floating jump shot during the early outburst.

Milwaukee pulled within 32-27 at the end of the first quarter as Middleton hit a pull-up jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining.

The Hawks led 56-46 with 2:39 left before intermission when Huerter drilled a 3-pointer off an assist from Young. But Milwaukee closed the half on a 10-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Pat Connaughton with 12.7 seconds to go, to erase the double-digit deficit.

The teams will remain in Atlanta, where Game 4 is set for Tuesday night. — Reuters

Premier Volleyball League ready to serve first pro season in July

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is ready to kick off its first professional season beginning next month.

In an announcement made at the weekend, PVL president Ricky Palou said they will kick off their first season as a professional league, with the Open Conference, on July 17 in a “bubble” setting at the Centennial Arena in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

It will end the long wait for the return of the popular volleyball league which turned professional late in 2020 after years of being a semi-pro league.

“We’re ready. The people who are supposed to help us are ready to get the games going; for us to enter the bubble. Television, too, is ready and just waiting for our word,” said Mr. Palou in an interview with BusinessWorld.

The PVL official went on to say that they chose to play outside of the National Capital Region (NCR) so as to avoid “possible disruption” considering how fluid the situation is with the pandemic.

Mr. Palou said they also considered Subic, Zambales, and Clark, Pampanga, as tournament venues.

“The NCR is always there but most of the venues here are being used for the pandemic like as vaccine centers. We play our matches at Filoil in San Juan but it is a vaccination area right now. And we don’t know, if we play here in Metro Manila and there is another spike in cases, we may be asked to stop the games. So to have less disruption, we chose to look outside,” he said.

“The safety of the players, organizers and all the people involved is very important for us. We want the place to be safe from this pandemic.”

For the inaugural pro season of the PVL, 11 teams are set to compete, led by powerhouse teams Creamline Cool Masters and F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.

The other competing teams in the PVL Open Conference are BaliPure Purest Water Defenders, Banko Perlas Spikers, Chery Tiggo Crossover, Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Cignal HD Spikers, Petro Gazz Angels, Philippine Army Lady Troopers, PLDT Home Fibr Hitters, and Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors.

Mr. Palou said the teams have already begun their respective bubble training sessions in different areas.

The league is currently in the process of finalizing the details, including the schedule of matches.

The PVL bubble Open Conference will run for two months, with matches to be broadcast over its new TV home Cignal TV.

The league, which was forced to cancel its season last year because of the pandemic, said despite its pro status now, its mission is still the same — develop the skills of the players further and provide opportunities for them as well as promote the sport of volleyball.

Key US training for Didal before Tokyo Olympics

Skateboarding is one sport that will welcome more private sponsors — Margielyn Didal made history after competing and placing seventh in the finals in the sport’s Olympic debut in Tokyo. — ALVIN S. GO
TOKYO Olympics-bound Filipino skateboarder Margielyn Didal — ALVIN S. GO

FILIPINO Tokyo Olympics-bound skateboarder Margielyn Didal is set for a key stretch of training in the United States as part of her final preparations for the rescheduled Games.

Ms. Didal, 21, recently booked her spot in the Olympics, where skateboarding will make its debut, on the strength of her world rankings. She is currently number 13 in her division.

The 2018 Asian and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist came back to her hometown of Cebu after competing at the Street World Championships in Rome, Italy, earlier this month, to rest and spend time with her family.

She was set to fly to Los Angeles after along with her coach, Dani Bautista, for the final stretch of her training before heading to Tokyo.

In LA, Ms. Didal said they will try to find a skate park similar to that which will be used in the Olympics to try out the stuff she will showcase in her event.

“Margie has a bag of tricks, and it’s just finding the right obstacle to do it in, for the course in the Olympics,” said Mr. Bautista, who joined Ms. Didal, in a recent media conference organized by Red Bull Philippines.

The women’s street event in the Tokyo Olympics will be held on July 26 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.

After their training in the US, Ms. Didal and her team will fly to Tokyo on July 18 where they hope to put in further training time before plunging into action.

“I think the three weeks of training time before the Olympics is just about right. You don’t want to overtrain yourself. You have to give your body enough time to recover,” Ms. Didal said.

She went on to say that she expects tough competition in the Olympics but she is staying positive and consistent in training.

Apart from Ms. Didal, other Filipino athletes who have booked a spot in this year’s Olympic Games are pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, shooter Jayson Valdez, golfer Juvic Pagunsan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and trackster Kristina Knott.

The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled from July 23 to Aug. 8. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Suns aim to close out Clippers, reach first Finals since 1993

THE Phoenix Suns can punch a ticket to their first NBA Finals since 1993 when they look to close out the visiting Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night.

The Suns advanced to the doorstep of franchise history by taking a 3-1 lead with an 84-80 win in Los Angeles on Saturday in a series that has taken a defensive turn after a free-wheeling, 120-114 Phoenix win in the opener last Sunday.

While much attention has been on veteran guard Chris Paul, who missed the first two games while in COVID-19 protocol, and his bid to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in his 16-year career, the Suns have ridden a strong defense led by anchor Deandre Ayton to their commanding position.

Playing in his first postseason, Ayton has been the Suns’ individual standout after Devin Booker’s 40 points led the way in the series opener. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft has recorded double-doubles in each of Phoenix’s last two wins, including a dominating 19-point, 22-rebound effort in Saturday’s critical victory.

With Ayton protecting the hoop, the Suns limited the Clippers to 32.5-percent shooting overall and 5-for-31 (16.1 percent) on 3-pointers in Game 4. This allowed the visitors to eke out a win despite hitting just 36.0 percent of their own shots and four of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc.

In the wake of arguably the best performance of his career, and on the eve of one that could be even more significant, Ayton took time to credit Paul, who has struggled offensively after his lengthy absence that began after the previous series against Denver.

A Suns win would not only make them the first Western representative from outside the state of California to make the Finals since 2014 but also just the second No. 2 seed to advance from the West since 2013. Golden State, who made five straight Finals appearances before the Los Angeles Lakers last season, was the last No. 2 seed to advance out of the West in 2018. — Reuters

Hazard rocket fires Belgium past holders Portugal into last eight

SEVILLE, Spain — Belgium knocked defending champions Portugal out of Euro 2020 with a 1-0 victory in the last 16 on Sunday to set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal tie against Italy.

A 43rd-minute strike from Thorgan Hazard secured the win for Roberto Martinez’s team, who survived plenty of pressure from the Portuguese in the second half.

But with the finishing touch missing, it was the end of the road for Cristiano Ronaldo and a Portugal team who had triumphed in Paris five years ago.

Ronaldo bows out with five goals from four games, and is currently the tournament’s top scorer. Yet it remains to be seen if the 36-year-old will return for a sixth Euros in Germany in 2024 or if the competition’s all-time top scorer will bow out of national team duty after the Qatar World Cup next year.

Belgium were among the pre-tournament favorites but this was a stodgy and uninspired display and they will need to raise their game significantly if they are to get past Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri who are unbeaten in 31 matches.

Thorgan Hazard’s fine goal was their only effort on target in the whole 90 minutes and there was little invention or flair from their midfield.

The task against Italy could be even more difficult if Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, who both came off with knocks in the second half, are unable to recover from their latest injury woes.

Portugal began brightly and Diogo Jota wasted a great chance in the sixth minute, dragging his shot wide after Renato Sanches had broken from midfield and found him in a promising position on the left.

But Belgium grew into the game with De Bruyne increasingly influential and they grabbed the lead three minutes before the interval. — Reuters

Dutch exit Euro 2020 after disastrous red card for De Ligt

BUDAPEST — A moment of madness from Matthijs de Ligt that led to a straight red card robbed Netherlands of any chance of making the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, with the loss of their defensive lynchpin leaving their team tactics in tatters.

Under pressure from Patrik Schick, De Ligt slipped and flipped the ball back into his path with his left hand to prevent the Czech striker gaining control of it. But referee Sergey Karasev immediately gave a free kick and a yellow card, which he then upgraded to red after a VAR check.

The loss of De Ligt was immediately felt as the Dutch went from being comfortably in control to being forced onto the back foot by a muscular Czech side that wasn’t afraid to be cynical in bringing attacks to a halt.

Often the deepest-lying of Frank de Boer’s three centre backs, De Ligt is the glue that holds the Dutch defence together and allows wing backs Patrick van Aanholt and Denzel Dumfries to forage far into the opposition half in support of the attack.

The 21-year-old is also key to set pieces for the Dutch both offensively and defensively, and on several occasions in the first half he was targeted with free kicks and corners by Memphis Depay.

His defensive organisational ability was also sorely missed when Antonin Barak fired a free kick to the back post for the Czechs and Tomas Kalas headed it back across the goal for Tomas Holes to head home.

Shorn of De Ligt’s physical presence at both ends, De Boer shifted to a flat back four, requiring Dumfries to prioritise his defensive duties.

Without their athletic wing backs to support him, Memphis Depay was left to battle against Ondrej Celustka and Tomas Kalas alone when strike partner Donyell Malen was replaced by Quincy Promes.

For all their intricate moves in the first half, the attacking play of the Dutch was too easily read, and the Czechs comfortably dealt with their cut-backs into the centre.

De Boer, who came through the Ajax Amsterdam school of “Total Football” inspired by Johan Cruyff, threw on giant striker Wout Weghorst, who at 1.97m posed a different physical challenge.

But it made little difference after the defence leaked another goal to the Czechs, and the Dutch followed De Ligt towards an early exit from a tournament they had expected much more from. — Reuters

Harris English outlasts Kramer Hickok to win 8-hole Travelers playoff

HARRIS English outdueled Kramer Hickok in a marathon eight-hole playoff on Sunday to win the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, CT.

English won on the 26th-hole of the final round when he made a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. It is the 31-year-old’s second victory of the season and fourth career win on the PGA Tour.

The 29-year-old Hickok, who was seeking his first PGA Tour win, forced the playoff by sinking an eight-foot birdie putt on 18. He shot a 3-under 67 and English shot 65 through 18 holes to finish the four rounds at 13-under 267.

“Kind of sorry it took seven or eight holes, but we were both grinding,” English said afterward. “Kramer is a hell of a competitor. We were both fighting to the end and that’s what you want.”

The only longer sudden-death playoff in PGA history was when Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff were declared co-winners after 11 playoff holes due to darkness in the 1949 Motor City Open in Northville, Mich.

Australia’s Marc Leishman shot a final-round 64 and finished one shot back in third. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer (65) was fourth at 11 under.

Bubba Watson, who shared the third-round lead with Hickok, collapsed over the final five holes. Watson shot 6-over during the stretch with a double-bogey and four bogeys holes to finish at 3-over 73 for the round and a tie for 19th at 7-under 273. — Reuters

Serena to skip Tokyo Games, declines to explain reasons

SERENA Williams will not be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, the 23-times Grand Slam singles tennis champion said on Sunday without giving the reasons behind her decision.

American Williams, who will turn 40 in September, won the singles title at the London Olympics in 2012 and she has also picked up three gold medals in doubles with sister Venus — in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008) and London.

“Yeah, I’m actually not on the Olympic list, so… Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it,” Williams told reporters on the eve of the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Top men’s players such as Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem have also opted to skip the Tokyo Games, which start on July 23.

Roger Federer, a 20-times major winner who also turns 40 in August, said he would like to go to the Olympics but would make a final call after Wimbledon.

There are persistent worries among the general public and medical experts in Japan that the world’s largest sporting event, which was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could trigger a new wave of infections.

Organizers have barred family members of athletes from attending the Games due to safety protocols, while foreign spectators are also excluded and domestic crowds will be allowed in restricted numbers.

The restrictions on international arrivals would have separated Williams from her daughter Alexis Olympia, who was born in 2017.

“There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision,” Williams said, when asked if it would be difficult for her to miss the Games.

“I don’t really want to… I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.

“In the past, it’s (Olympics) been a wonderful place for me. I really haven’t thought about it, so I’m going to keep not thinking about it.”

WIMBLEDON CAMPAIGN
The All England Club’s lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times along with her Olympics singles gold medal.

She has reached the finals in her last four Wimbledons and is one of the favorites to win a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam with the absence of world No. 2 Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep.

“I think that the women’s draw is so deep, regardless to who you play,” said Williams, who will open her campaign against 100th-ranked Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

“You really have to show up now. There’s no longer matches that are going to be a sure walk-through. You just have to really have your head in, have your game on.

“I feel like, if anything, everyone plays really hard. I feel like it doesn’t matter who you play, you have to be ready. Everyone worked really hard to be here.” — Reuters

Allianz PNB Life teams up with UCFC

ALLIANZ PNB Life has partnered with United City Football Club (UCFC) for the upcoming AFC Champions League and the 2021 Philippine Football League (PFL). The professional football club based in New Clark City, Tarlac announced its partnership with the major life insurance brand last June 16. Photo shows CEO Alex Grenz and CMO Gino Riola proudly show off the jerseys for the Allianz-sponsored UCFC team.