VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

 Some 44 percent of the cities and districts throughout Indonesia have become low-risk zones and are safe from COVID-19, Chief of the National Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, Doni Monardo, confirmed.

"We got the result for now that 44 percent of the total 514 cities or districts nationwide are under the COVID-19 status of low risk and safe, marked by the yellow and green colors," Monardo noted while delivering an explanation to President Joko Widodo at the BNPB Building in Jakarta, Wednesday.

Monardo affirmed that it was a commendable momentum that shall be sustained. Even as some other areas still record a high rate of infection, cooperation between central and regional governments is expected to soon curtail the figure.

"Some areas are showing an increase (in the infection rate), but we are certain that the central and local governments have currently segregated the tasks at hand quite efficiently. Moreover, we monitor regional development in accordance with the president's order," Monardo remarked.

The national task force chief expounded that cooperation encompasses even the smallest scope of the local neighborhood to alter public behavior in order to create awareness to comply with the health protocols.

"If we could change our behavior, adopting precautionary measures would be the best step forward, and as the president and health minister said that hospitals are only for patients exhibiting grave symptoms," Monardo reiterated.

As Indonesia is currently transitioning to the new normal era, the Task Force is conducting the COVID-19 handling program in a step-wise manner to safeguard people from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic.(ANTARA)