The Pasar Rumput Flats Will Be Converted Into Isolation Place, Merchants: The Government Must Find Solutions To Save Our Turnover

Grass Market Flats. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Pasar Rumput flats will be used as a place to isolate COVID-19 patients, in anticipation of the positive cases that continue to increase every day. The Indonesian Market Traders Association (IKAPPI) is starting to get worried. They asked the government to find a solution to reduce turnover because the market would be quiet.

Head of IKAPPI's Information and Communications Division Muhammad Ainun Najib asked the government to provide a safe trading area around the Grass Market Flat which will be used as a place for COVID-19 isolation. If not, the effect is that the market becomes empty of buyers.

"We ask the government to find a solution to the decline in market turnover. Because the effect is that the market will be quiet because buyers do not dare to come to the Grass Market. Or the zoning shift from this trading place to the prepared trading place", he said, in Jakarta, Friday, July 9th.

The IKAPPI hopes that the local government or PD Pasar Jaya will find a solution so that there will be no impact from the spread of COVID-19 after it was stated that the Grass Market was a place of isolation for the community.

"The government must also strengthen health protocols in the grass market and its surroundings", he said.

In addition, said Najib, efforts are also needed to minimize meetings between COVID-19 suspects and market traders.

"There has to be a zoning and an area to allow trading to be as comfortable as possible", he explained.

Pasar Rumput Flats are ready to use

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that 2.060 beds in the Pasar Rumput Jakarta Flats are ready to be used by COVID-19 patients without symptoms or with mild symptoms to carry out isolation. With these thousands of rooms, Jokowi ensures that the government is ready in case of a spike in cases.

During the review, Jokowi was accompanied by the Minister of Public Works and Human Settlements (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono and Head of National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) Ganip Warsito.

"Earlier after we checked tower 1, 2.060 beds were ready to be used", he said as shown on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube broadcast, Wednesday, July 7.

Not only that, in the next two or three days there will be 5.950 beds that are also ready to be used for COVID-19 patients to self-isolate. Thus, when a spike in cases occurs, the government has prepared beds for patients without symptoms or with mild symptoms.

"Then towers 2 and 3 with 5.950 beds will be ready in 2-3 days. We hope that if there is a spike, we will have readiness", he said.