Jokowi's Reason For Choosing PSBB Is Not A Regional Quarantine

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy to deal with the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 in Indonesia was deemed appropriate to conditions in Indonesia. According to him, this policy was made after the government studied other countries' steps to deal with the virus.

"Because from the experience of 202 countries that have made policies (to deal with COVID-19), we learned that everything has pluses and minuses. We adjust it to the conditions of our country in terms of geography, demographics, cultural character, discipline and our fiscal capacity," said Jokowi after doing visit to the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital on Galang Island, Batam, Riau Islands, Wednesday, April 1.

With the PSBB policy in accordance with Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning Regional Quarantine, Jokowi emphasized that regional heads do not take different policies from the central government.

The former Governor of DKI Jakarta understands the desire of regional heads to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in his area. Therefore, he taught that there were transportation restrictions and social restrictions imposed by a number of regions. However, he asked the regional government to follow the central government's policy by not implementing a regional quarantine or lockdown policy.

"If there is a Law on Health Quarantine, yes, that is what is used. Do not make separate events so that the government does not share the same vision line," he said.

He explained that the central government did not take a lockdown or quarantine policy because it wanted economic activities in the community to continue, even though it had to maintain a safe distance from one another or physical distancing.

Meanwhile, Jokowi continued, the lockdown policy or area quarantine meant a total stop of all community activities and a cessation of private and public transportation facilities.

"We still want economic activity to exist, but all people must maintain a distance. Maintain a safe distance is the most important. We convey from the beginning, social distancing, physical distancing, that is most important," he said.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD assessed that the PSBB policy had accommodated input from the public asking for regional quarantine to stop the spread of the virus and make the regions free to move.

"Those who speak about quarantine, voices about lockdown have all been accommodated there. Local governments are given the freedom to move in this policy but still with a rhythm of cohesiveness with the central government. namely PSBB, "said Mahfud in a video statement released on Tuesday, March 31.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) considered that PSBB had also resolved problems related to the spread of COVID-19 because there were already restrictions in it.

"That already includes all the ideas to solve various problems, limiting the movement of people and goods from one place to another using this mechanism," he said.