VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered the Health Ministry to quickly incentivize medical workers who treat COVID-19 patients and called for bureaucratic steps to be slashed if necessary. 

“Don’t stagnant the procedure. If the bureaucracy is complicated then simplify them,” said the president as he opened the weekly meeting with the national COVID-19 task force at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Monday. 

He made it clear he does not want to hear another complaint coming from healthcare workers that did not receive incentives, which include medical workers who perished while on duty. 

“What are we waiting for? The budget is there,” said the president. The incentives for healthcare workers and medics in the front line of the COVID-19 crisis were voiced by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo who said that the incentives have yet been distributed from the Central Government. Even though the Health Ministry’s regulation had already been issued. 

The Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI) once stated that the incentives have yet been distributed to medical workers due to the bureaucratic policies and the verification process issued by the Health Ministry. (tempo.co)

Head of the Jakarta Maritime, Agriculture, and Food Security Agency (KPKP), Darjamuni, on Sunday announced that the government is currently preparing a health protocol overseeing qurban sales, sacrificial procedure, and distribution for the Islamic Eid al-Adha celebration. 

The sacrificial qurban animals will be strictly overseen by a series of rules that would help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “We are preparing [the protocol],” Darjamuni confirmed in a text message on Sunday.

However, he was tight-lipped in terms of the details as he still needs to present it to Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan before announcing it publicly. The agency has scheduled a meeting with the governor on Tuesday, June 30. 

The spokesperson for the city’s largest mosque, Istiqlal Mosque, on Sunday said to Tempo that Istiqlal’s management has yet received assurance from city administrators whether the qurban tradition would be held or not. 

“We have yet received information on whether we will be receiving qurban animals. No announcement has been made yet,” said Abu to Tempo on Sunday.

He further elaborates that the annual sacrificial tradition could possibly be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing renovation of the Istiqlal mosque. (tempo.co.id)

Indonesia for the first time recorded new COVID-19 recoveries above one thousand within 24 hours, according to Achmad Yurianto, the Government's Spokesperson for COVID-19 Response.

"The number of patients recovering reaches 1,027, bringing the total recoveries to 22,936 so far. The number of deaths was 34, bringing the death toll to 2,754," Yurianto said at Graha BNPB building, in Jakarta on Sunday.

For the first time that the number of recoveries exceeded one thousand within 24 hours. Previously, the number of recoveries was usually 500 to 800 daily, he added.

Papua contributed 335 recoveries based on the data received on the previous day, he noted.

The country's COVID-19 tally reached 54,010 cases, including 1,198 new confirmed cases on Sunday.

The results were obtained from the examination of 17,230 specimens from the Ministry of Health's network laboratory.

Yurianto explained that the number the specimens which were examined, went down because laboratories in most hospitals were closed on Saturday and Sunday. Only the Ministry of Health's network laboratories and few other laboratories remain open for seven days a week.

East Java Province added the highest number of fresh cases, notably 330 and 101 recoveries.

Following East Java, was South Sulawesi with 192 new cases and 60 recoveries, Central Java 188 new cases and 14 recoveries, Jakarta 125 new cases and 255 recoveries, and South Kalimantan 73 new cases and 80 recoveries.

"Today, 20 provinces report fresh cases below 10, and nine provinces have no new cases," he said.

On June 25, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) paid a working visit to East Java to review the COVID-19 response in the province.

He called on the Health Ministry and the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Response to send face masks to East Java to curtail the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

President Jokowi received a report from the East Java COVID-19 Task Force that said 70 percent of citizens in the area had yet to wear masks.

To this end, the Indonesian leader invited religious and public figures to constantly remind the people of the criticality of following health protocols, especially in terms of wearing masks, keeping physical distance and frequent hand washing.

Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Benny Rhamdani. ANTARA/screen shot of BNPB YouTube channel/sh

The Indonesian government would facilitate Indonesian migrant workers to return to the country in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that they would reach their hometowns safely, the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) said.

Head of the BP2MI Benny Rhamdani  in a statement here on Sunday noted that the agency had worked closely with related institutions such as the Directorate General of Immigration, Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, the military and police, and the Transportation Ministry, to ensure that the workers could return to their hometowns safely.

"We have treated migrant workers as VVIP citizens, in the form of best service and protection," Rhamdani said in a discussion aired through the YouTube channel of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

Rhamdani said that he was mandated by President Joko Widodo to give protection to the workers.

He elaborated that migrant workers would have to follow the health protocols for the handling of the new coronavirus, prior to their return to Indonesia. A swab test for the COVID-19 is required to ensure that they are not contracted the virus, and obtain a health certificate from local health authority.

The swab test could be conducted in their origin countries or upon their arrival in Indonesia.

Those who conduct the test in Indonesia, would have to be placed under quarantine while waiting for the result of the swab test.

Migrant workers who are tested negative for the COVID-19 could continue to return to their hometowns, while those who are tested positive must have further medical treatment and be isolated.

According to Rhamdani, the agency has repatriated 162 thousand migrant workers during the pandemic, while some 50,114 others will have their working contract expire and have to return to the country.

In addition, the agency has received 222 bodies of migrant workers who died of various causes, back to the country.

"As of today, we have received 222 bodies. We provide free ambulance to transport them back to their hometowns," he said.

The migrant workers are among major contributors to Indonesia's foreign exchange income, with forex earning in 2019 reached Rp159.6 trillion from the workers.

Meanwhile, head of the law enforcement unit of the COVID-19 task force First Admiral R Eko said, the government has prepared Batam on Riau Island, Jakarta and Bali as entry gates for the returning migrant workers and for their quarantine.

"We secure and monitor (the return of migrant workers). We monitor them since the plan to return them to Indonesia, the swab test, quarantine, until they reach their hometowns," Eko said. (ANTARA)