Indonesia's Widodo defends Covid-19 record, chides 'polemics'

Indonesian President Joko Widodo defended his record of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, asking for no “polemics” or “commotion” amid criticism that he is putting the economy over public health.

His video statement late on Saturday came as the world’s fourth-most populous country’s Covid-19 caseload rose to 299,506. Its 11,055 coronavirus-related death toll is among the highest in Asia.

The government’s handling of the pandemic since March has drawn criticism from...