Four Steps By Luhut Pandjaitan To Reduce COVID-19 In 9 Provinces

JAKARTA - President Jokowi appointed Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC PEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to control the transmission of COVID-19 in nine provinces.

Spokesperson for the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said Luhut had four steps to take to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases in the nine provinces.

"Mr. Luhut was asked by the President so that the target could be achieved within the next 2 weeks. To achieve the target, there are several steps that will be taken," Wiku said in a YouTube broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, September 15.

First, Luhut will synchronize data between the central and regional governments in order to make quick decisions. Because, so far, updating of COVID-19 case data between the central government has always been different from each province.

"The second is to carry out justisi operations to enforce the discipline of health protocols by using regulations for criminals who take action to act against those who violate the rules," said Wiku.

Third, Luhut will improve the management of COVID-19 patient care to reduce the death rate and increase the cure rate.

The fourth is the handling of COVID-19 in a cluster in each of these provinces. "So, the handling must be more specific in certain areas in the province," said Wiku.

As previously reported, Jokowi ordered Luhut and the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo to focus on handling COVID-19 cases in nine provinces.

The provinces are DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Bali, North Sumatra, and Papua.

"The President ordered that within two weeks we should be able to achieve three targets, namely reducing the addition of daily cases, increasing the recovery rate and reducing the mortality rate," said Luhut in a ministerial coordination meeting.

The selection of the nine provinces, said Luhut, was taken from the consideration that the eight provinces contributed to 75% of the total cases or 68% of the total cases that were still active. Outside the 8 provinces, Papua Province was also added.