Regarding Tanah Abang Market Crowd, Chairperson Of The COVID-19 Task Force: Do Not Let There Be New Clusters

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Chairperson of the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Doni Monardo responded to a crowd of residents shopping at Tanah Abang Market, Central Jakarta. Doni said he was worried about a cluster of COVID-19 transmission that would emerge from the crowd.

"Shopping centers are getting busy, in a number of big cities like Jakarta. Don't let this become a new cluster. Especially in Jakarta, shopping centers are full", Doni said in a YouTube broadcast by Disaster Management Operations Control Center (BNPB Pusdalops), uploaded on Sunday, May 2.

Doni appreciated the steps taken by the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan, the Commander of the Regional Military Command, Maj. Gen. from the National Army (TNI) Dudung Abdurachman, and the Head of Metro Jaya Regional Police Inspector General Police Fadil Imran, who directly checked Tanah Abang Market to arrange strategies so that crowds could be minimized.

However, Doni actually hoped that the regional leadership could anticipate it before the crowd happened.

"Today we see DKI Governor of DKI, Commander of the Regional Military Command, and Chief of Regional Police going to the field. We hope prevention efforts are carried out earlier in order to avoid transmission", he said.

For information, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan took steps so that the crowd in Tanah Abang would not repeat itself and one of them was by sharing the schedule for closing the market.

"So starting this afternoon, the market will be closed, divided by some at 16.00 p.m. and some others closing at 17.00 p.m. to avoid going out at the same time and then heading to almost the same point", said Anies during a visit to Tanah Abang Market.

In addition, there is also a change in the schedule for the commuter line that crosses Tanah Abang station. "Tomorrow afternoon from 15.00 p.m. to 19.00 p.m. the commuter line train will not stop at Tanah Abang Station so it will not transport passengers from there", he said.

This decision, he continued, was taken after his party held discussions with PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), because of the pile of passengers at the station close to the shopping center.

However, as an alternative for the community, the provincial government still provides TransJakarta buses that operate from Jalan Jati Baru to other stations.

"For merchants or passengers who need public transportation, other vehicles can be facilitated", said the former Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud).

Not only that, but merchants also have to sell in the market building. Anies said, buying and selling activities should not be carried out on the sidewalks around the Tanah Abang Market because this creates a risk of crowds. "Our officers will be on guard", he said.