Some 20 states have seen a rebound in infections as the epicenter of the country's outbreak has moved from New York and the country's Northeast to the South and West.
The phase-2 trial will determine the shot's dose and continue to evaluate whether the potential vaccine can safely trigger immune responses in healthy people
Scientists said the detection of traces of the virus before the end of 2019 was consistent with evidence in other countries that COVID-19 may have been circulating before China reported the first cases on Dec. 31.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 34 more deaths reported, with total fatalities now at 2,373, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.
The drug should be sold only to those who have a prescription from a doctor. The notification said that dexamethasone is a steroid, which has a large number of manufacturers in Pakistan.