Jakarta. Indonesia concluded the year amid ongoing surge in newly coronavirus cases and deaths that put December as the worst period yet in the country's outbreak, as hospitals and even graveyards in major hotspots are nearing capacity.

The country has added 204,315 cases in the month-long period to take its total to 743,198, an increase of 27.5 percent on the total number the previous month, government figures show. 

The previous monthly high was 128,795 cases recorded in November.

At least 5,193 Covid-19 patients have died since Dec. 1, bringing the total death toll to 22,138.

It’s also the all-time high in monthly death toll since first Covid deaths were confirmed on March 11.

Newly cases are rising at unprecedented speed due to resurgence in the country’s four most populous provinces. 

Jakarta has reached a new level with daily cases beginning to top 2,000 regularly. The capital city has added 46,874 cases this month for a total of 183,735.

East Java has been averaging 718 cases since Dec. 1, more than twice the average in November, to take its total to 84,125.

West Java becomes only the second province after Jakarta to average more than 1,000 cases this month, by adding 31,062 cases for a total of 83,579.

Central Java sees the smallest growth in newly cases among the four giants, but it still averages 833 cases to bring its total to 81,716.

South Sulawesi is the next province where the virus is spreading at the fastest speed. It has recorded a total of 31,047 cases, of which more than one-third have occurred this month alone.

Riau and West Sumatra are the only provinces inside the top ten worst-affected provinces to report a slower growth in newly cases this month when compared to their November figures.

But Yogyakarta in southern Java has followed Banten to emerge fast as a new hotspot. The total number of coronavirus cases in Yogyakarta has more than doubled to 12,155 in just a month.

The total number of cases in Yogyakarta is ranked in the middle among the country’s 34 provinces, but its December total is the seventh-largest.

Like its neighbors, Yogyakarta saw an upturn in newly cases in late November.

Banten took over North Sumatra on Thursday to rank ninth among provinces with the most cases.

It means that all six provinces on the most-crowded island of Java are now enduring the darkest period of the Indonesian outbreak. They account for more than 60 percent of overall cases nationwide.

The latest Health Ministry data reveal that hospital bed occupancy rate in those six provinces has reached 75 percent or higher.

When it comes to the death toll, the order is a bid different. East Java is the deadliest place in the country’s outbreak with a total of 5,827 Covid deaths.

Central Java has recently surpassed Jakarta by accumulating a total of 3,362 deaths to rank second.

Jakarta is third with a total of 3,270 deaths and currently opening a new graveyard for Covid victims in the northern part of the city.

The move was taken after the Pondok Rangon cemetery reached capacity due to sudden surge in Covid deaths.