Indonesia president says need to balance health and economy in pandemic

FILE PHOTO: People receive a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine dose at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia August 14, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Yulius Satria Wijaya via REUTERS

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday during his annual state of the nation speech the country must "strike a balance" between health and economic interests amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

"The pandemic has indeed significantly slowed down our economic growth, but it must not hinder the process of structural reforms of our economy," the president said in the speech to parliament.

Struggling with a surge in infections driven by the Delta variant, Indonesia has become Asia's epicentre for COVID-19, with hospitals overwhelmed at times and the daily death toll recently the highest globally with total fatalities topping 100,000.