Task Force COVID-19: Restrictions On Activities In Java And Bali Are Mandatory

ILLUSTRATION / Signpost during the Jakarta PSBB examination some time ago (VOI / Irfan Meidianto)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said that restrictions on community activities in Java and Bali are mandatory. Therefore, regions that refuse to implement this restriction must follow it in order to reduce the rate of increasing COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

"Any party who refuses to follow the central policy should immediately heed the government's instructions because it is mandatory," Wiku said at a press conference broadcast online on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, January 7.

He said the central government's policy was taken to accelerate the handling of the pandemic. Not only that, these restrictions have been designed to balance the health sector and the economy.

Wiku said that the restrictions on community activities in Java and Bali were not taken arbitrarily. Wiku said, the government has paid attention to several indicators to implement this rule, such as considering areas with red zones and being the highest contributors to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.

"Not only local governments (local governments), people from the regions also clearly saw the emergency level of the spread of COVID-19," he said.

As previously reported, the Acting Mayor of Surabaya, Whisnu Sakti Buana, admitted his objection to the limited tightening of community activities in East Java, namely Malang Raya and Surabaya Raya. This objection arises because there has been a decrease in cases in Surabaya.

"Meanwhile, in the East Java region there are four regencies and cities where the PSBB is not implemented in the red zone. That was what I also protested," said Whisnu, Thursday, January 7.

He explained, if the tightening of community activities is carried out in East Java, then as a whole the districts / cities in East Java must also apply the same rules.

In addition, this objection arose because he considered the Surabaya City Government to have handled the pandemic well.