Jokowi Likens PMK Like COVID-19: Fast Spread Despite Lockdown

President Jokowi (BPMI Setpres/Lukas)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the spread of foot and mouth disease (PMK) in livestock was very fast despite the lockdown or closure of areas with red zones.

"Actually, it has been locked down, regencies, provinces, but it is developing like COVID-19, fast, whether through any media, which is clear," said President Jokowi after the Gathering of Alumni Pre-Employment Card Recipients at the Sentul International Convention Center (SICC), Bogor, West Java, Friday 17 June.

The President considered that the spread of PMK was very fast, like COVID-19, which previously also implemented a regional quarantine alias lockdown.

He said, PMK has infected livestock in 18 provinces and 190 regencies/cities.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture has imported 800,000 doses of FMD vaccine from France in the early hours of Friday and distributed it directly to various regions.

"The 800,000 (dose) vaccine has arrived. This also has to be done quickly, like COVID, so it is injected quickly so that it can protect the other cows," said the President.

Vaccine distribution will be carried out in previously mapped FMD outbreak areas. Vaccine injection will be prioritized for healthy animals that are in the red and yellow zones.

In addition, the FMD vaccine is also prioritized for livestock located in the breeding source area, as well as for livestock located in the dairy farming center area.

Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo explained that the spread of the FMD outbreak was very fast with the transmission of the virus through the air or airborne.

Therefore, the Minister of Agriculture asked all officers in the field to really control the presence of humans as well as the entry and exit of livestock.

"This epidemic has an extraordinary acceleration. Therefore, extraordinary efforts are stronger, they are part of the existing answers. Hopefully this can make us all sure that the FMD outbreak can be handled optimally well," he said.