Asking Regional Heads To Bring COVID-19 Residents To Central Isolation, Jokowi: Give Comfortable Beds

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo asked regional heads, both governors, regents, and mayors to invite residents who are self-isolating at home because they are confirmed positive for COVID-19 to move to centralized isolation.

He instructed this in response to the current increase in cases in a number of areas outside Java and Bali.

"Immediately bring them, take them to centralized isolation. It is the duty of governors, regents, mayors to prepare centralized isolation in their respective cities. There could be one, two, ten," Jokowi said in a Youtube video broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat, Saturday, 7 August.

Jokowi said that isolated patients in a centralized and monitored place could be placed in schools, meeting halls, and sports halls. With a note, the local government must provide a comfortable bed.

"I see several provinces in Java using schools, using halls, using sports buildings. Given a comfortable bed, take them there," said Jokowi.

Not only that, Jokowi also asked for the spike in cases outside Java and Bali to be responded to by tightening restrictions on community mobility. He gave two weeks for the application of the mobility brake.

"It should be a case when it's a big case like that, people's mobility must be put on hold. Governor, everyone should know. Pangdam, Kapolda, everyone should know. That means, human mobility should be braked for at least 2 weeks," he said.

Then, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta asked the TNI Commander to intensify testing and contact tracing for COVID-19 cases. This effort was made to suppress the spread of the virus.

"Immediately found people who have positive results, respond quickly because this is related to speed. Otherwise, people who have positive cases have spread everywhere. Find them immediately," said Jokowi.

Finally, Jokowi asked to accelerate the implementation of vaccination. He forbade local governments to stop vaccination for a long period of time. If the vaccine stock runs out, the central government will provide it.

"After that, ask the center again. Don't keep the vaccine stock for too long. Both in the health office and in hospitals, health centers. Order all of them to immediately inject because this speed also provides protection to our people," he explained.

It is known, the spike in COVID-19 cases has now shifted from the islands of Java-Bali to other islands over the past two weeks. As of July 25, there was an increase in COVID-19 cases, still in the range of 34 percent or 13,200 cases nationally.

Furthermore, the increase continued to occur even until Friday, August 6, there were additional 21,374 positive cases or 54 percent. A number of provinces that experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday, August 6, were North Sumatra, Riau, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Sumatra.