Admits There Are Many Problems During The Pandemic, Luhut: If Someone Says It's Out Of Control, It's Not True

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan (Photo: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) Coordinator, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, acknowledged that there were various problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, he made sure the government could control this pandemic.

Moreover, the government has been trying to solve the existing problems one by one so that the COVID-19 pandemic can be handled properly.

"If someone says (the COVID-19 pandemic, ed) this is out of control, it's very untrue. That there are problems, there are so many problems but we solve them one by one", Luhut said in an online press conference broadcast on Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel, Tuesday, 6 July.

He said the government had also made various scenarios to anticipate the worst in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them is anticipating if new cases reach above 40 thousand per day.

In addition, the government has also implemented an Emergency PPKM policy which is expected to reduce community mobility in order to suppress the transmission of the virus.

"If we see that there has been a decline in mobility, it is still far from what we expected", he said.

Furthermore, the government has also prepared various anticipations including ensuring the supply of drugs and medical oxygen. Then, health service facilities such as hospitals are sufficient to be given to COVID-19 patients.

For oxygen, for example, Luhut claimed to have prepared a plan in case of an increase in COVID-19 cases to 50 thousand to 70 thousand cases per day. The government, he continued, ensures that 100 percent of the current oxygen production is used to meet medical needs.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment also said that the government had ordered around 10 thousand oxygen concentrators from Sigapura. Later, the oxygen concentrator will be used by COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

"Until today, we have calculated the oxygen, we have made a scenario for that it could be up to 5 thousand, maybe at worst we have made up to 60-70 thousand cases per day. But we hope that doesn't happen", said Luhut.

Next, the government also continued to increase the bed capacity at the COVID-19 referral hospital to open a number of buildings including the Hajj Dormitory in Pondok Gede. It aims to accommodate COVID-19 patients.

"Meanwhile, the National Armed Forces (TNI-Polri) have deployed their own emergency hospitals in Jakarta and later in Surabaya. So we must deploy all our forces", said Luhut.

"So don't underestimate that Indonesia can't handle the problems until today, yes (there is a problem, ed). But we can handle it", he concluded.