Soaring COVID-19 Cases, Jokowi Asks For The Health Protocol Discipline Movement To Be Intensified

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked all his staff to intensify the application of health protocols to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Because, in the past few days, the number of positive cases has increased.

Based on the data received, the number of additional positive cases was due to a lack of public awareness of following health protocols. So, it needs more massive socialization.

"Reinforce the national disciplinary movement towards this health protocol by keeping your distance, wearing masks, and washing your hands," Jokowi said when opening a limited meeting to accelerate the handling of the impact of COVID-19 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday, July 13.

In fact, without a doubt, the former governor of DKI Jakarta mentioned areas that still underestimated health protocols. The area is East Java (Jatim), a province led by Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

"From the survey we saw in East Java when I went to East Java, their survey was that 70 percent of the people did not wear masks," he said.

In addition, Jokowi also mentioned the increasing positivity rate or comparison of the number of tests with people who tested positive for COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta.

He even said that this increase had doubled because previously the positivity rate in Jakarta was four to five percent, but now the number is 10.5 percent.

On this basis, Jokowi then requested that the mobilization of the health protocol discipline movement be carried out by various elements such as the TNI, Polri, mass organizations, volunteers, community leaders, and campuses.

"All are moved to participate in this campaign and at the same time supervise," he said.

Apart from asking for the strengthening of the national movement for the discipline of health protocols, the communication built by the government must be participatory and communication that builds trust.

All statements and policies issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, must be in accordance with science. The goal is to generate public participation, especially to prevent transmission of the virus in the community.