Jokowi Calling No Need For Provincial Lockdown, DKI Deputy Governor: We Agree

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI, Ahmad Riza Patria, responded to President Joko Widodo's statement that local governments in provinces to districts / cities should not act as pretentious as regional quarantine or lockdown handling COVID-19.

Riza admitted that he agreed with Jokowi's statement. Because, in handling a pandemic, an area must act based on data on developments in cases that have occurred.

"We support what was conveyed by the President (Jokowi). There needs to be a synergy of cooperation and so on, including based on facts and data," Riza told reporters, Sunday, October 4.

Riza said, the DKI Provincial Government always follows facts and data, and has discussions with epidemiology to the central government, namely the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPCPEN) in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Riza also agreed with Jokowi's statement that prioritizes health management by paying attention to other aspects that still have to be run, namely the economic sector.

"Other aspects cannot run if health has not been completed. For this reason, health becomes a priority without leaving other aspects behind. All must be a proportionate concern," said Riza.

As previously reported, President Joko Widodo said that public health is the number one thing in handling COVID-19 in Indonesia. However, according to him, prioritizing health does not mean sacrificing the economy.

Jokowi said, if handling COVID-19 sacrifices the economy, it is the same as sacrificing the lives of tens of millions of people.

Therefore, limiting total community mobilization such as regional quarantine or lockdown is not an option allowed by Jokowi.

"No, there is no need to worry about locking down provinces, locking down cities, or locking down districts because it will sacrifice people's lives," said Jokowi.

During the seven months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jokowi admitted that he had learned many lessons related to handling the pandemic. For example, about adjusting social restrictions to reduce the number of virus transmission.

"I emphasize the importance of micro-scale social restrictions or mini lockdowns. We make it more focused, specific, focused, sharp, to overcome the COVID-19 problem, but not kill the economy and people's lives," he explained.

The former governor of DKI asked the public not to think that the government was criticizing policy adjustments such as large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) being micro-scale social restrictions (PSBM).

"COVID-19 is a new problem, the whole world is the same. No country has yet dared to claim that it has found the best solution. Each country also has different problems, different ways of handling them," Jokowi explained.

"So, we also have to keep adjusting, looking for the best way that best suits our situation," he continued.