Doubtful To Handle COVID-19, Luhut: I Am Not An Epidemiologist But I Am A Good Manager

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling Committee who is also the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan answered public doubts regarding his appointment to handle COVID-19. Luhut was tasked with handling COVID-19 in eight priority provinces for two weeks.

Luhut said he was not an expert but he felt he could carry out President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) orders because he was assisted by the best people.

"So if someone says I am not an epidemiologist, it is true. But I was helped by a lot of smart people, young people like this are Monica from UI and graduated from Harvard for epidemiology," Luhut said in an online press conference, Friday, 18 September.

"I am only a manager and I think I can claim to be a good manager," he added.

During the press conference, Monica, whom Luhut said was helping himself, did provide instructions on handling COVID-19 several times. Including when he forgot how the symptoms of someone exposed to COVID-19.

Luhut invited all parties to work together in dealing with this COVID-19. "We all have to be united. There is no mistake in blaming. We cannot feel the most correct ourselves, then make accusations here and there. No need. Of course we will solve this well and we really try not to have an outbreak," he said.

At the conference, Luhut explained the steps he would take to reduce the number of COVID-19 in eight priority provinces over the next two weeks. The eight provinces that are currently being prioritized are DKI Jakarta, West Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, North Sumatra and Papua.

First, Luhut will encourage changes in people's behavior to comply with the COVID-19 health protocol. In order to make this method successful, Luhut formed a team called Hunter COVID which will encourage the public to be disciplined in implementing health protocols.

"Second, a decrease in the addition of daily cases and the third is an increase in the recovery rate, a decrease in mortality rate, and a decrease in mortality cases. These five are what we translate in the future what we are doing and are currently running," he said.

"So in fact, our critical time is two to three months from now while the vaccine is running. So this vaccine will start running. We hope that early December will continue," he concluded.