Jokowi Reminds Regional Heads To Beware Of The Spike In COVID-19 Cases, Repeatedly Calls The Word "Beware"

President Jokowi in a virtual briefing of regional heads throughout Indonesia (Youtube Secretariat of the President)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo reminded regional heads to be aware of the spike in COVID-19 cases after Eid. In his briefing, Jokowi repeatedly mentioned the word “caution” to warn of a potential spike in new cases.

"After Eid, be careful, we really have to be vigilant, because there is a potential for the number of new cases of COVID even though we have issued a policy to prohibit going home," said Jokowi during a briefing of regional heads throughout Indonesia on May 17 whose video was uploaded on the Secretariat Youtube channel. President, Tuesday, May 18.

Jokowi admitted that he received data on about 1.5 million people going home despite the government-imposed homecoming ban. Although the percentage is relatively small compared to the prediction of going home before the ban on returning home, Jokowi said that the potential spike in cases must still be watched out for.

"Oh, that's why we hope that even though I see it in a busy tourist area, we hope that our active case doesn't want to be as big as last year because what? There has been a decrease in active cases, the peak of active cases in February was 176 thousand, now it has dropped to 90,800, down 48 percent. This is what we must continue to press so that it gets lower and lower. We must have resilience because it is impossible to complete it within a month and two months, "said Jokowi.

"Be careful the second wave, the third wave, in our neighboring countries have jumped drastically," he said.

He gave an example of Malaysia, which has implemented a lockdown, including Singapore, with the strictest activity restrictions.

In his briefing, Jokowi mentioned the increase in COVID-19 cases in 15 provinces. The 15 provinces are Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Bangka Belitung, DKI Jakarta.

Then Maluku, Banten, NTB, North Maluku, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Gorontalo. Here Jokowi mentioned the provinces one by one by adding the word “caution”.

"This is the development of weekly cases on the island of Sumatra, be careful, you can see, it is down but still in a high position. North Sumatra is the same, has not gone up yet, West Sumatra is also high but there has been a decline. But still everyone has to be careful, which has dropped drastically in Bengkulu, "said Jokowi.

"Be careful," said Jokowi emphasizing his message to regional heads to anticipate a spike in COVID-19.