Airlangga: Central And Local Governments Agree To Balance Handling COVID-19 And Economic Recovery

JAKARTA - The central and local governments have agreed on a balance between activities related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and the National Economic Recovery (PEN). This agreement resulted from a coordination meeting between the Central Government and 8 Regional Heads, including DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

The decision to balance prevention activities for the spread of COVID-19 and the economy was taken after Anies Baswedan's decision to withdraw the emergency brake by reimposing large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

Chairman of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery Airlangga Hartarto said this decision was made based on the fact that the cure rate for COVID-19 patients in Indonesia is quite high nationally.

"Realizing that in handling COVID-19, Indonesia as a whole has recovered 71.5 percent and the case fatality rate is 4.1 percent. And if we look at it, especially in DKI, the recovery is around 75.2 percent," he said, in press conference, at the BNPB Office, Jakarta, Thursday, September 10.

Airlangga explained that coordination to balance the handling is very necessary. Given that the central government and local governments must move in one language and one action in handling COVID-19 and the economy.

"We see that the central and local governments in handling COVID-19 and our economy are moving in one language and one action and coordination meeting that was carried out is to balance existing inputs or concerns," he said.

According to Airlangga, related activities or office activities in Jakarta as well as in a number of areas will be carried out by applying the health protocol approach.

However, he said, especially for DKI Jakarta, office activities were still carried out flexibly. This means that there will be a division of the number of employees who work both from home and from the office.

"Workers in the office continue to run in accordance with the regulations issued so that we regulate work from home (WFH) and work from office (WFO)," he said.

Apart from that, other productive activities will also continue as usual. However, with a note that the COVID-19 health protocol will be tightened.

Airlangga emphasized that with this decision the central government will pay serious attention to health facilities and hospital capacity. The government will prepare two and three star hotels to accommodate patients in order to reduce the burden on hospitals.