Jokowi Asks Ministers To Give Reports On Handling COVID-19

President Jokowi chairing a meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday, July 7. (Photo: BPMI at setkab.go.id)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo asked his ministers not only to report to himself but also to provide solutions related to what must be done quickly in the field to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from that, he also asked his ministers to be straightforward in explaining their performance reports.

"I hope that later what will be delivered is not a report but what we have to do, what are the problems in the field, and in short," said Jokowi when opening a limited meeting to accelerate the handling of the impact of COVID-19 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday, July 13.

He said his ministers had to move quickly because of the spike in COVID-19 cases in a number of areas. One of them is in DKI Jakarta.

During the meeting, Jokowi mentioned the positivity rate for COVID-19 in the capital, which has doubled to 10.5 percent. The positivity rate is the ratio between a person who tests positive for COVID-19 and the number of tests performed.

According to him, the increasing number needs to be found a solution immediately. Given previously, the positivity rate in Jakarta was only around 4 to 5 percent. "Please really pay attention," he said.

Jokowi also asked for an increase in cases that occurred recently, which reached 2,657, to continue to be given attention. He also requested that the 3T, namely testing, tracing, and treatment be continued.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta said that there are several areas that are prioritized in the massive implementation of 3T, namely East Java, DKI Jakarta, West Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, North Sumatra and Papua.

Target specimen testing

To accelerate the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia, President Jokowi wants the target of 30 thousand specimen testing to be achieved immediately. He ordered an increase in the number of laboratories in the region and the number of mobile PCR laboratories.

"We hope that the target I conveyed can be achieved at 30 thousand," he said.

Apart from testing, Jokowi also reminded that tracing needs to be done. The goal is to provide special isolation and care or treatment for people under surveillance (ODP) and patients under surveillance (PDP).

With the increasingly massive treatment of ODP and PDP, facilities, especially mattresses, personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical personnel, medicines, ventilators, and isolation rooms are needed.

So he asked a number of provinces that still lacked these facilities to immediately convey it to the Ministry of Health.

"This still needs additional, for the provinces I mentioned earlier, if there is a shortage of this, the Ministry of Health can convey to the Minister of Public Works to be resolved immediately," he concluded.