What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Real death toll masked

More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with acute virus symptoms but were not recorded as victims, a Reuters review of data from 16 of the country's 34 provinces showed. Three medical experts said the figures indicated the death toll nationwide was likely to exceed the official figure of 765.

Wiku Adisasmito, a senior member of Indonesia's virus taskforce, did not dispute the Reuters findings but said few of the 19,897 suspected sufferers had been tested as many specimens stacked up for processing at under-staffed labs.

"If they have thousands or hundreds of samples they need to test, which one will they give the priority?" he asked Reuters. They will give the priority to the people that are still alive."

The disparity in virus deaths will have a huge effect on Indonesia's tracking of the spread of the disease.