Indonesia's capital bans midnight sale ahead of Eid al-Fitr

JAKARTA: The midnight sale ahead of the Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr will not be held this year in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, home to about 10 million population and epicentre of the Covid-19 transmission in the country, according to a municipal government official.

Edi Margono, Head of the Small and Medium Business Empowerment Section of the Jakarta Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Office, said on Wednesday that the midnight sale is banned to prevent further transmission of Covid-19.

"It (the sale) has the potential to trigger an uncontrollable crowd," Margono added.

Midnight sales are popular in Indonesia, offering discounts ahead of holidays such as the Eid al-Fitr, Christmas and New Year holidays, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health on Wednesday reported 1,551 new cases of Covid-19 in the Southeast Asian country, bringing the total number to 6,036,909.