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PLN Gradually Recovers Electricity Supply (0)
State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has recovered electric power to Balaraja Extra High Voltage substation in Banten Province, and furthermore it will be channeled to Suralaya steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) to gradually recover its operation to reach its capacity of 2800 MW of electricity.
In addition, power supply from Gandul Extra High Voltage substations in Depok, West Java Province, will be channeled to Muara Karang gas and steam power plant (PLTGU) to supply electricity to the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta.
Acting President Director of PLN Sripeni Inten Cahyani said here on Sunday that the power supply to Jakarta was expected to recover within three hours.
"We apologize for the inconvenience today, and currently all efforts have been made to recover the Java-Bali power system, especially in the area of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta," Cahyani said.
The company has focused on power supply to PLTGU Muara Karang and PLTGU Priok to recover the system in the capital city.
Previously, PLN has recovered the operation of hydro-generated power plant (PLTA) Saguling and PLTA Cirata which are functioned as power stabilizer, and, at the same time, supply the electricity to PLTU Suralaya through Cibinong, Depok, Gandul, Lengkok, Balaraja and Suralaya extra high voltage substations.
PLTU Suralaya is expected to return to its normal operation within six hours to normalize power system in West Java and Banten.
Blackout that affected thousands of homes and public facilities in West Java, Jakarta, and Banten was caused by several troubles in the extra high voltage 500 kV transmission of Ungaran - Pemalang.
"PLN has taken its best efforts and will have evaluation to prevent recurrence of today's incident," Cahyani said.
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April
COVID-19: 'Mudik' risks mass contagion across Java
Written by Wenny ZuliantiFor West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, the consequences of letting people go to their hometowns during a pandemic are real. The governor posted on his Facebook wall on Thursday a news story about a 72-year-old stroke patient from Ciamis who tested positive for COVID-19 after having contact with his child from virus-stricken Jakarta.
“This story is one of many cases of parents in West Java who are COVID-19 positive after being visited by their children or relatives, who are unaware that they are carrying the virus to their hometowns,” he said. “Restrain yourselves and love your parents. Don’t go home now,” he pleaded.
The post is just another sign of growing apprehension among regional leaders over a possible explosion of coronavirus cases in their respective areas as millions of people from Greater Jakarta — largely deprived of their livelihood due to large-scale physical distancing policies — are set to travel to their hometowns for Idul Fitri early.
The central government still lacks a clear strategy on preventing that. Just hours before Ridwan made his plea, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced that he would not officially ban people from traveling for the Idul Fitri holidays, ignoring warnings from public health experts that the consequences of failing to prevent people from leaving Jakarta, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country, could be dire.
Annually, some 20 million people from Greater Jakarta travel to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri in a tradition called mudik (exodus). The tradition, public health experts say, could lead to massive COVID-19 contagion on Java, an island of 141 million people, where many regions have far worse healthcare systems than Jakarta.
“[The President] underlines that there is no official ban on people going on the mudik during the 2020 Idul Fitri holiday period. The travelers, however, must self-isolate for 14 days, will be given ‘people under observation’ [ODP] status, as per the World Health Organization health protocol, and will be monitored by the respective local administration,” presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman said in a statement on Thursday, shortly after a speech by the President on the matter.
State Secretary Pratikno, however, later clarified Fadjroel’s statement, saying that the President actually called on people to stay in the capital, though he did not categorically state that the President would ban the mudik.
A revised statement from Fadjroel was not redacted to retract the original one.
April
Indonesia Prohibits Entry of Foreigners to Limit COVID-19 Spread
Written by Ani HasanahThe Indonesian government has banned foreign nationals from entering and transiting through the country to thwart the further spread of the novel coronavirus.
"The president has decided to strengthen the current policy. We have decided that visits and transits of all foreign nationals through the Indonesian territory would be temporarily stopped," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated during a virtual press briefing after a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday.
The minister clarified that the restriction would not apply to work permit holders, diplomats, and other official visitors, though adding that they would have to adhere to the health protocol.
"The new policy will be stipulated in a new Law and Human Rights Ministerial Regulation," Marsudi revealed.
Earlier in the day, during the opening of the video conference meeting, President Jokowi stated that the government had continued to monitor developments pertaining to the spread of COVID-19 around the world.
Jokowi called for the authority to pay greater attention to inter-country mobility to cut the chain of COVID-19 transmission, in addition to local transmission.
Moreover, the latest development points to the epicenter of the virus having moved from China to the United States and Europe.
Countries, such as China, South Korea, and Singapore, which already succeeded in flattening the curve of the coronavirus transmission are currently potentially facing a new wave of COVID-19 infection.
"Some countries that have been able to flatten the curve of COVID-19 transmission are facing a new challenge called the new wave of COVID-19. China, South Korea, and Singapore have faced the problem of imported cases," Jokowi pointed out. (ANTARA)
April
Jokowi Orders Strict Monitoring of Returning Migrant Workers
Written by Ani HasanahPresident Joko Widodo (Jokowi) highlighted the importance of stringently monitoring the entry of Indonesian migrant workers, particularly from Malaysia, and ship crew members, who had returned to their hometowns, to prevent imported cases of COVID-19.
During a teleconference meeting to discuss the movement of Indonesian migrant workers and foreigners held at the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday, Jokowi emphasized the significance of taking precautionary measures to handle imported COVID-19 cases involving migrant workers.
"The inflows of migrant workers from various countries, especially from Malaysia, must be handled carefully, as it involves hundreds of thousands or millions of Indonesian migrant workers keen to return home," the president stated.
Jokowi confirmed receiving a report that in the past few days, over three thousand workers from Malaysia had returned to their hometowns on a daily basis.
Jokowi had also instructed to conduct strict monitoring of ship crew members, who had recently returned to the country.
"The number of ship crew is forecast to reach 10 to 11 thousand. We would need to conduct their health screening," the president stated.
The head of state has highlighted the importance of imposing stricter rules on the inflows of foreigners and Indonesians returning from overseas.
Some countries, including China, South Korea, and Singapore, faced the new challenge of imported COVID-19 cases.
The Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) recorded that 32,192 migrant workers had returned from countries affected by COVID-19.
Of the 32,192 migrant workers, some 11,566 had returned home from Malaysia; 9,075 from Hong Kong; 5,487 from Taiwan; 2,799 from Singapore; 889 from Brunei Darussalam; 888 from Saudi Arabia; 756 from South Korea; 641 from Italy; 46 from Japan; and 45 from the United States. (ANTARA)
March
House begins third session as coronavirus infections surge in Jakarta
Written by Ani HasanahIndonesia’s House of Representatives opened its third session for 2019-2020 with a plenary meeting here on Monday amid a work-from-home guidance issued by the central and local authorities for the past two weeks.
The meeting was attended by 45 legislators, while 279 others participated in the session via video conferencing.
The legislature is located in Senayan, which is the epicenter of the current COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia. The House of Representatives had earlier extended its recess from March 22 to March 29 before finally deciding to open the third session.
"By saying Bismillahhhirahmanirrahim (in the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful), I, as the Speaker of Indonesia's House of Representatives, announce to all Indonesian people that the third meeting session for the 2019 to 2020 period is officially starting today, March 30, 2020," House Speaker Puan Maharani said in her speech in Jakarta, Monday.
“Forty-five members of the House of Representatives are here in person, while 279 others are in their homes, attending the plenary meeting virtually," Maharani stated.
Though they were in the same room, the legislative members practiced social distancing by sitting far apart from each other.
The Jakarta Provincial Government had recorded a total of 720 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, with 48 people recovering from the viral infection and 76 succumbing to it.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Government on March 30 reported 1,414 confirmed cases, and said 75 patients had recovered from COVID-19. The death toll was recorded at 122. (ANTARA)
March
Jokowi Preps Instruction on Disaster Contingency Plan
Written by Ani HasanahPresident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung to draft a presidential instruction that obliges regional administrations to set a guideline for handling disaster emergency or contingency plan, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Doni Monardo.
According to Doni, the President made the request during a meeting on the flood control on Friday, January 3, 2020.
"The Presidential Instruction [Inpres] will require governors, regents, mayors to arrange contingency plan," said Doni at the Presidential Office on Friday, January 3, 2020.
Doni explained that natural disasters in the country were relatively the same. During the dry season, several regions will suffer drought or forest fires, while other regions in the rainy season will experience floods or landslides.
Further, Donni explained that through the Inpres, regional heads can prepare strategies based on the potential disaster in their respective areas. So they will know what steps to take when disaster strikes.
"With the Inpres, all stakeholders can also remind regional administration to take preparation and mitigation steps," Doni remarked. (TEMPO.CO)
March
Indonesia Records 1,285 Cases, 114 Death Toll from COVID-19
Written by Ani HasanahThe number of COVID-19 positive cases in Indonesia has continued to increase and reached 1,285 as of Sunday, with 64 patients recovered and 114 died of the disease, the government spokesman for COVID019 handling Achmad Yurianto said.
"There are 130 new cases, bringing the total case count to 1,285. The increased number of confirmed cases illustrates transmission has continued among the public," Yurianto said in Jakarta on Sunday.
The Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling recorded five cases in Aceh, 10 cases in Bali, Banten 106, Yogyakarta 22, Jakarta 675, West Java 149, Central Java 63, East Java 90, West Kalimantan 8, East Kalimantan 17, Central Kalimantan 7, North Kalimantan 2, South Kalimantan and Jambi one case respectively.
Other cases recorded in Riau Islands (5), West Nusa Tenggara (2), South Sumatera (2), West Sumatera (5), North Sulawesi (2), North Sumatera (8), Southeast Sulawesi (3), South Sulawesi (47), Central Sulawesi (2), Lampung (4), Riau (2), North Maluku and Maluku one case respectively, West Papua (2) and Papua (9). (ANTARA)
March
COVID-19 Case Count in Indonesia Touches 1,155
Written by Ani Hasanah
March
Jokowi Tells G20: Strengthen Cooperation, Check Economic Slowdown
Written by Ani HasanahPresident Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Thursday urged G20 leaders to fight the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak and check the global economic slowdown triggered by the pandemic.
"First, we must strengthen cooperation against COVID-19," President Jokowi said while participating in the G20 Extraordinary Sherpa Meeting from the Bogor Palace, West Java via video conference on Thursday evening.
According to Jokowi, the world's 20 major economies must encourage global solidarity in handling COVID-19. He said G20 leaders need to initiate efforts so that the pandemic does not interfere with partnerships and cooperation between countries that have been built over years.
"For this reason, the G20 must actively lead efforts to find the anti-virus and medication for COVID-19, of course, hand in hand with the WHO," he said.
Jokowi also encouraged G20 countries to work together and synergize economic policies and instruments to fight the slowdown in the world economy due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
"We must prevent a global economic recession through coordinated fiscal and monetary policies, and expand and strengthen social safety nets, especially for MSMEs," Jokowi said.
The President also encouraged the G20 to maintain financial sector stability, including maintaining liquidity and providing relief to the business community, which has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With the high global financial turmoil, foreign exchange support is very important. I also support widening of the global and regional financial safety net, including through (mechanisms such as) the SDR swap line and currency swap facility, such as the Chiang Mai Initiative," the President stated.
He also asserted the importance of G20 member countries preventing production disruption, and maintaining smooth distribution of goods, “mainly staple food and health goods”.
Jokowi ended his statement by emphasizing the need for G20 countries to build global confidence that the world would win the war against COVID-19 and overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic. (ANTARA)
March
Establish Health Coverage Norms for Coronavirus Patients: President
Written by Ani HasanahJakarta - President Joko Widodo has asked the Minister of Health to implement the necessary norms, standards, and procedures for providing health insurance coverage to patients diagnosed with COVID-19, or the coronavirus disease.
The President made the statement during a limited meeting on healthcare and social security agency funding, held via video conference on Tuesday from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.
"To the Minister of Health: implement the norms, standards, and procedures necessary for providing health insurance services to COVID-19 (patients),” he said.
The President said the norms must cover information on health facilities, service costs, and data collection from health facilities providing services to COVID-19 patients.
Jokowi said he would like to remind all parties involved that it is the nation’s duty to ensure the National Health Insurance system is functioning properly and sustainably for the people of Indonesia in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. (ANTARA)
March
Jakarta - The number of coronavirus deaths in Indonesia rose to 55 on Tuesday, while the number of positive cases climbed by 107 to 686, said Achmad Yurianto, the government spokesperson for COVID-19 response.
"There are 107 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 686," Yurianto said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The new cases were reported between March 23 and March 24.
The new COVID-19 cases emerged from Jakarta (70), East Java (10), Banten (9), North Sumatra (5), Central Java (4), Yogyakarta (1), West Java (1), West Kalimantan (1), Central Kalimantan (1), West Nusa Tenggara (1), South Sumatra (1), North Sulawesi (1), Riau (1), and Papua (1).
As there were no further reports of recovery, the number of patients who have recovered from the virus remained unchanged at 30, he said.
Yurianto noted that the Indonesian government had done its utmost to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday, the number of infections globally had crossed 392 thousand, with the death toll touching 17,147 and 103,393 patients recovering from the disease.
China recorded the highest number of cases at 81,171, followed by Italy with 63,927 cases, the United States 46,116, Spain 35,136, and Germany 29,056.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia recorded the most infections with 1,624 confirmed cases and 15 deaths, followed by Thailand with 827 cases and 4 deaths. (ANTARA)
