VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan once again appealed to residents of the capital city to stay in and not leave for their hometowns amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

"I have reiterated this message many times. We would again like to ask the people of Jakarta to not leave the city, especially for their hometowns," he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday.

The appeal was aimed at ensuring Jakartans remained healthy and medical services could be provided to them immediately, if the need arose, he explained. The request was made to prevent the coronavirus disease from spreading to more areas, he added.

Health facilities in Jakarta were limited given the number of active COVID-19 cases, however, the condition in the city was still relatively better than in other regions, he remarked.

"Hence, I hope everyone will adopt a responsible attitude and stay in Jakarta and not return to their hometowns," he said.

The COVID-19 emergency response in the capital city was also extended until April 19, 2020, from April 5 initially.

"Restrictions remain. Hence, the emergency response status has been extended from April 5 to April 19, meaning that the work-from-home (WFH) policy for Jakarta's civil servants, civilian-related military and police personnel remains in place, until the emergency response status is revoked," the Governor confirmed.

In the meantime, Indonesia recorded 109 new COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, taking the total case count in the country to 1,155, with 59 patients recovering and 102 others dying of the disease, according to the COVID-19 Response Task Force.

The increase in the number of new cases suggests coronavirus transmission has continued in the community, government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling, Achmad Yurianto, said during a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday.

Of the total confirmed cases, 627 were reported from Jakarta and 119 from West Java Province, he noted. (ANTARA)