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President Joko Widodo during his working visit to monitor the acceleration of COVID-19 handling at the Grahadi Building in Surabaya, Thursday. (25/06/2020). (FOTO ANTARA/HO-Bureau of Press of East Java Govement)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) threw his weight behind adopting an integrated approach to handle the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to reduce the number of cases of those infected with the virus.

"An integrated approach should be followed to control the COVID-19 pandemic in East Java. I give a two-week time period to control the COVID-19 pandemic in an integrated manner," President Jokowi noted during his working visit to monitor the acceleration in handling the COVID-19 pandemic at the Grahadi Building in Surabaya, East Java, Thursday.

The head of state remarked that all organizational units in East Java, including the task force for COVID-19 handling in provinces, districts, cities, and villages, must continue to coordinate while working jointly to conduct measurable crisis management.

The president also pointed out that the highest number of cases were recorded in the Greater Surabaya area that included Surabaya City and the districts of Sidoarjo and Gresik. The spread of COVID-19 in those areas should firstly be brought under control.

"A unified management approach should be adopted to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Surabaya, Gresik, and Sidoarjo," he stated.

Based on data from the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 handling in East Java until Wednesday (June 24), the number of positive confirmed cases in Surabaya City had totaled 4,962, while 1,838 patients made a recovery, and 369 people succumbed to the disease.

Sidoarjo District recorded 1,287 positive cases, while 207 patients recovered, and 97 died of the disease, followed by Gresik District, with 534 positive cases, 77 patients recovering, and 55 people dying of the disease.

"Once again, I am upbeat about the number of COVID-19 cases in East Java declining in two weeks. As a result, people can transition to a new normal," the president emphasized.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa remains committed to making all-out efforts with task forces and volunteers to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, so that the number of cases does not increase.

"The two-week target set by the president is within reach, so that the number of positive cases decreases, the number of patient recoveries increases, and the number of deaths decline," Parawansa added. (ANTARA)