Active COVID-19 Cases In Jakarta Reached 17 Thousand, Anies: This Is Because Of Long Holidays

The Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan. (Photo: BNPB)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has decided to tighten the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) again to reduce the number of active cases and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Apart from supporting the central government's instructions, this tightening was also carried out because currently active cases in Jakarta as of Friday, January 7 had reached 17,382 and was the highest figure during the pandemic.

"Currently 17 thousand. It is important we know because 17 thousand are our concern. This means that we have to prepare controlled isolation facilities, hotels or guesthouses for treatment for severe or moderate conditions. Active cases in Jakarta are the highest during the pandemic," Anies said in a statement. his presentation delivered online, Saturday, January 9.

Furthermore, the former Minister of Education and Culture said, learning from past experiences, by tightening the PSBB, active cases in DKI Jakarta could decline again.

"Jakarta has experienced first and second waves. What happened? In Jakarta this month was September when we were doing a tightening, where previously the curve went up when the tightening leveled off, then even decreased and the decline reached 50 percent. From 13,000 it decreased to 6,000 active cases. in Jakarta, "he said.

It's just that, he considered, this increase in cases occurred again because of the long holiday. "After the holidays, changed, after the holidays he climbed again," he said.

So, Anies said, it is hoped that with the tightening of the implementation of the PSBB from January 11-25, active cases in Jakarta can decrease as in previous experiences. "Right now we are in January at its peak, we are starting to do PSBB," he said.

"We hope that it will be like before, starting with a slope, then after sloping, we hope it can go down. We hope that the decline is complete," he added.

Previously reported, the government through the Chairman of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN) Airlangga Hartarto decided to implement the PSBB in Java and Bali. The goal is none other than to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

This new policy took effect on January 11 and ends on January 25. This is also part of the government's anticipation to be aware of the finding of a new variant of COVID-19 which is said to be more contagious.

This decision is in accordance with Government Regulation (PP) Number 21 of 2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions in the Context of Accelerating Handling of COVID-19.