VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Worshippers gathered at a graveyard in Herasti, Romania, as part of traditional Orthodox  celebrations on Saturday.(BBC)

Christians around the world have continued on with Easter celebrations, experimenting with new forms of worship as many countries stay under lockdown.

Some clergy have been preaching to cameras in empty churches as their congregation watch services online this Easter Saturday.

But in other countries traditions continued as normal, ignoring calls for tougher restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth in an Easter message to the nation said the coronavirus will not overcome us.

Referencing the tradition of lighting candles to mark the occasion, she said: "As dark as death can be - particularly for those suffering from grief - light and life are greater."

It comes as the number of coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals reached 9,875

Speaking from Windsor Castle, the Queen said many religions had festivals celebrating light overcoming darkness, which often featured the lighting of candles.

The monarch, who is head of the Church of England, said: "As darkness falls on the Saturday before Easter Day, many Christians would normally light candles together.(BBC).

Indonesian military personnel assist the transportation and distribution of items of personal protective equipment (ANTARA)

Indonesia's COVID-19 Task Force Head Doni Monardo confirmed, Saturday, that 650,000 hazmat suits were distributed to Indonesian provinces to fulfill the requirements of hospitals to protect their paramedics in combating the deadly new coronavirus disease.

"As of Saturday, April 11, 2020, some 650 thousand hazmat suits have been distributed," he told ANTARA in Jakarta when queried on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for paramedics fighting on the frontline against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monardo elaborated on the number of hazmat suits distributed to all provinces in Sumatra Island, with Aceh alone receiving 13 thousand pieces; North Sumatra, 24,500; West Sumatra, 16 thousand; and Riau, 12,500.

The Riau Islands Province received 22,350 pieces; Jambi, 9,350; South Sumatra, 15 thousand; Bangka Belitung, 9,050; Bengkulu, 9,400; and Lampung, 11 thousand.

Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, which has emerged as the epicenter of the new coronavirus disease based on a large number of confirmed cases and death toll, had received 121,950 hazmat suits while West Java got 62 thousand pieces, he revealed.

Monardo suggested public hospitals experiencing a dearth of PPE, including hazmat suits, to notify the health office in their respective provinces.

In response, the health office would contact the Task Force to get the equipment, Monardo, concurrently head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated.

"Local hospitals should bring to the notice of the provincial health office any problems, such as a shortage of PPE. The health office will thereafter contact the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling," he remarked.

The task force had formed a special team with the support of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to distribute the healthcare equipment to all regions in the country, he stated.

The shortage of PPE has turned out to be a serious challenge for Indonesian doctors and paramedics in the early stages of Indonesia's endeavors to fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. (ANTARA)

Traffic Director of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Senior Commissioner   Sambodo Purnomo Yogo (left) symbolically handed over a package of aid to be distributed to the people ij need particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta on Sunday (ANTARA)

The Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police on Sunday distributed 25 tons of rice as assistance from the public to low-income people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in and around Jakarta.

"Today we will share (joy) with the public. We will help (solve) the difficulties faced by the people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," Traffic Director of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Senior Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said

The Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police has received 70 tons of basic necessities as assistance from the public to help augment low-income people's needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first stage, the traffic directorate distributed 25 tons of rice to the low-income people in and around Jakarta on Sunday.

"Right now we have received 70 tons (of basic necessities) from all layers of the community. We will distribute it not only today but the other days as well. In the first phase, we will distribute 5,000 packages of five kilograms of rice," he said.

"We will distribute the assistance to anybody who according to us deserves to receive it. They include taxi drivers, app-based motorcycle tax drivers, scavengers, cigarette vendors, coffee vendors, street sweepers, gardeners, beggars, pedicab drivers, bajaj transport drivers, and somebody else who deserve to receive it," he said.

The aid was distributed to the low-income people using 150 cars and motorcycles owned by the Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police. (ANTARA)

Commander of the Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airbase Colonel Andi Wijanarko handed over 10,000 units of personal protective equipment and 4,000 masks to the acting governor of Riau Islands Province Isdianto  on Saturday. (ANTARA)

Commander of the Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airbase Colonel Andi Wijanarko handed over 10,000 units of personal protective equipment and 4,000 masks to the acting governor of Riau Islands Province Isdianto in Tanjungpinang, Riau Island, on Saturday.

The personal protective equipment and masks are the second round of assistance from the COVID-19 Central Task Force in Jakarta delivered by the Ar Force C-130 Hercules plane to the province.

"This proves that the Air Force has also participated in and contributed to the handling and prevention of the COVID-19 outbreak by launching air operations to distribute personal protective equipment to the entire unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia including Riau Islands," he said.

He said he will continue to coordinate with the central government to bring more personal protective equipment to the province.

Meanwhile, Isdianto in the capacity as chief of the COVID-19 Riau Islands Provincial Task Force praised all parties that have paid attention to the COVID-19 cases in the province.

"I express our gratitude to the Air Force for facilitating the distribution of personal protective equipment from the central to regional governments. This assistance is very useful four our region which is in dire need of the equipment," he said. (ANTARA)