VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A person crosses an empty street on the first day of a five-day lockdown implemented in the state of Victoria in response to a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders

Australia's second most populous state Victoria entered a five-day lockdown on Saturday (Feb 13) as authorities raced to prevent a third wave of COVID-19 cases sparked by the highly infections UK variant.

One new locally acquired case was confirmed in the past 24 hours, Victoria health authorities said on Saturday, taking the number of active cases in the state to 20.

"A lot of people will be hurting today. This is not the position Victorians wanted to be in but I can't have a situation where in two weeks' time, we look back and wish we had taken these decisions now," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Saturday. 

Andrews said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had agreed to stop all international flights to Melbourne through Wednesday, after five en-route, with about 100 passengers, land on Saturday.

The cluster that triggered the renewed restrictions stemmed from a quarantine hotel at Melbourne airport.

Among the "essential" work, play at the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam tennis event which runs to Feb 21, continued, but fans were banned through Wednesday. Thousands were forced to leave mid-matches before midnight on Friday.

The lockdown, which has shut restaurants and cafes for all but takeaway, hit just as Melbourne had geared up for the biggest weekend in nearly a year, with Lunar New Year celebrations, Valentine's Day and Australian Open crowds.More broadly, Australia is rated among the world's most successful countries in tackling the pandemic, largely because of decisive lockdowns and borders sealed to all but a trickle of travellers. With a population of 25 million, there have been around 22,200 community cases and 909 deaths//CNA

Indonesian fisherman in Arumbae, Ambon, Maluku. (ANTARA FOTO/Izaac Mulyawan)

Indonesia has yet to rank top on the list of the world's countries exporting fishery products despite its huge maritime economic potential, according to a top Indonesian scientist.

"China still ranks as the top exporter, while Indonesia remains at 15th position," Bogor Agricultural University's (IPB's) Professor of Coastal and Ocean Management, Rokhmin Dahuri, stated here, Saturday.

Addressing a webinar organized for the grand launch ceremony of the "Serambi Nusantara" news portal at Al Fatah Islamic boarding school in Bogor District, West Java, Dahuri pointed out that this reality was, in fact, a paradox of kinds.

Indonesia's total economic potential of the maritime sector was estimated to reach US$1.348 trillion, but it has, so far, only been able to garner less than 11 percent benefits from the sector, he pointed out. The potential of the archipelago's maritime sector is five times larger than the total value of its 2019 state budget that was merely recorded at Rp2,400 trillion, Dahuri stated.

The total economic potential of Indonesia's maritime sector that can be explored and developed into various fields is also projected to absorb at least 45 million workers, he remarked.

On account of the high value of this sector, Dahuri reiterated his call for the country's related stakeholders to become more serious in exploring and developing the country's maritime economy.

Indonesia must be able to take up China's position as the world's top exporter of fishery products, according to Dahuri, also well-known as the former maritime affairs and fisheries minister.The webinar also presented a Muslim scholar from the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University, who shed light on Indonesia's renowned ulema from Bogor, Syaikh Mukhtar Al-Bogori.

The grand launch ceremony of the "Serambi Nusantara" news portal was held at the Al Fatah Islamic boarding school in Kreteg neighborhood of Ciomas Sub-district, Bogor District, West Java Province.

The news portal, founded by Ahmad Fahir along with several other dedicated journalists and those from the Al Fatah Islamic Boarding School, disseminates news and feature reporting on a plethora of issues, including culture, tourism, and environment that enlighten and edify the public.

Attendees at the event comprised Ciomas Sub-district Head Chairuka Judianto, the Al Fatah Islamic Boarding School master, as well as several local journalists and students//ANT

Ambassador Sinyo Harry Sarundajang (right)

Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Sinyo Harry Sarundajang, 76, passed away at Siloam Hospital, West Jakarta, on Saturday at 00:31 WIB, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sarundajang's body was kept at his residence in Kelapa Gading and RSPAD before being taken to his hometown in Manado, North Sulawesi Province, by plane, the ministry informed here on Saturday.

Sarundajang had served as the Indonesian ambassador to the Philippines and concurrently the Marshall Islands and Palau since February 20, 2018//ANT

A woman wearing a face mask burns incense at the Boen San Bio temple, Tangerang, Banten on Thursday night (February 11, 2021). (ANTARA FOTO/Fauzan/aww/gtm)

Friday marks the beginning of the 15-day Lunar New Year festival, when lanterns normally brighten Chinatowns across the country. But this year, fewer visitors are being spotted at temples with many people choosing to pray at homes with their families. The Indonesian government has urged Chinese communities in the country to stay home and avoid crowds amid the festivities, while local authorities have limited temples' capacities as a precautionary measure to curb coronavirus infections.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, asked Chinese communities in the country to "tone down" celebrations, and keep them more meaningful and safe."Celebrate the new year as simply as possible with family. Follow health protocols, such as wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining a safe distance, limiting mobility and interaction, as well as avoiding crowds," he said.

The Lunar New Year carries a message of compassion and caring for others, he added.

"Gong He Xin Xi, Wan Shi Ru Yi (Good luck and all the best!)," the minister said, greeting the Chinese communities in Mandarin.

In spite of a capacity limit imposed at the temples and other restrictions, Chinese communities in the country are still continuing to perform most rituals and traditions of the Lunar new year. Although things might feel different this time, many are trying their best to welcome "The Year of Ox" as brightly and colorfully as the years before//ANT