Looking At Jokowi's 'New Normal' During The COVID-19 Pandemic

President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (Photo: Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo offers a picture when the government will decide that people can live side by side with the COVID-19 outbreak. In this pattern of life, people can return to their activities outside the home but still try to be safe from the corona virus.

Currently, the government continues to carry out monitoring based on data and facts in the field to determine when the government can bring Indonesia into a period of productive return to society but to remain safe from COVID-19. That period, Jokowi called it a "new normal".

This new normal life plan, said Jokowi, departs from a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) which states that there is a potential that this virus will not disappear soon and will remain in society.

"The latest information from WHO that I received is that even though the curve has sloped slightly or later becomes less, this virus will not disappear. This means that we must coexist with COVID-19. As I said earlier, make peace with COVID. It is important that people are productive, safe, and comfortable, "said Jokowi through an official statement from the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, Friday, May 15.

However, Jokowi denied that "new normal" was interpreted as an admission of defeat from COVID-19. Jokowi said that living side by side with COVID-19 means adjusting to always comply with the COVID-19 prevention protocol in all daily activities.

In the future, every day, the community will continue to implement physical distancing, limit the crowd, wear masks, and always wash their hands with soap and running water.

"Our lives have definitely changed to overcome the risk of this epidemic. That is a necessity. That is what many people refer to as a" new normal "or a new life order. However, a different life is not a life full of pessimism or fear," he explained.

Not yet Loosening PSBB

Despite opening up the "new normal" scenario, Jokowi admitted that the government had no plans to loosen the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) regulations. However, there will be efforts to revive economic conditions by opening closed business sectors.

"Business sectors that are closed can gradually reopen. Of course with safe ways from COVID-19 so as not to cause an outbreak of outbreaks. I take an example, for example, restaurants can start to open but their contents may be only 50 percent. The distance between seats is relaxed. "The distance between tables has been relaxed," said Jokowi.

Regarding when the implementation of this stage of a productive society safe from COVID-19 will begin, Jokowi said the government will continue to evaluate and look at data and facts such as the positive curve for COVID-19, the curve that heals, and the curve that dies, before finally making a decision.