VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of the Covid-19 Task Force Doni Monardo said that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has never revoked it and is still imposing large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) as an effort to break the chain of the spread of COVID-19 in Jakarta.

"From the beginning, Jakarta government has never revoked the PSBB," he said in Jakarta, on Sunday.

He said the government had taken the right steps to issue PSBB rules through Presidential Regulation No.11 Year 2020, although the government also has the option of implementing Law No.6 of 2018 concerning Health Quarantine.

In that case, as long as each regional government took, the quarantine status is still compliant to the Presidential Regulation No. 11 Year 2020, and must be obeyed by all aspects.

"Jakarta has never changed its status once again. PSBB has always been active," he said.

Doni also said that before deciding to implement the PSBB, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan always consulted to the central government through the COVID-19 Task Force, including with other relevant ministries/institutions.

If the data still shows an increase in cases, then each region, including Jakarta, will be asked not to relax regulations.

"Before the Jakarta Governor decided, he also always consulted with me. [Jakarta] status is still red. Red is high status, so don't relax [PSBB]," he said.

In providing recommendations to each region, including Jakarta Government, Doni also explicitly stated that implementation must always be based on valid data as a reference so that decisions taken are not wrong and make matters worse.

"So yesterday the implementation of the regulation was loosened a bit, now it is tightened, but remember, there is no change in status," he said.

He explained that the PSBB was not a regional quarantine or as it is better known as a "lockdown". "PSBB is PSBB, not 'lockdown'. The 'lockdown' is a prohibition [of all activities]," he said.

Previously, the government had taken steps to implement Presidential Decree No.11 of 2020 on PSBB, so that handling COVID-19 and increasing the economic activity can continue altogether.

"From the start, the president did not choose this option, because if he did, our people who work daily cannot earn income," he said.

Doni also explained that in the COVID-19 Task Force all the making and implementation of each policy had stages that had to be followed.

These stages include preconditions, such as simulation, "timing" or implementation at the right time, priority, central and regional coordination followed by monitoring and evaluation.

"I often communicate and routinely with all governors in all provinces to always exchange ideas. So if there is something that needs to be evaluated or needs to be changed, we take the steps. As long as this concept is running well, I don't think there's something to worry about," Doni said. (Antaranews)