VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The provincial administration of Jakarta cautioned residents and business owners against holding New Year's Eve celebrations on Thursday evening to halt transmission of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has acutely threatened Indonesia's public health and economy.

"Starting from 7 p.m. local time, there will be no crowd-pulling activities. The Jakarta Metropolitan police have supported (this policy)," Jakarta's Deputy Governor, Ahmad Riza Patria, stated.

To ensure no New Year’s Eve celebrations organized by both communities and business entities in Jakarta, a joint team of security personnel has stepped up monitoring by conducting surveillance operations around the country's capital city, he remarked.

Conversing with journalists on the sidelines of his visit to the Pulogebang Integrated Bus Terminal in East Jakarta, the Jakarta deputy governor noted that the dispatched security personnel were recruited from the police, military, and city public order agency.

Patria reminded the capital city's residents of the Jakarta governor's instruction that all New Year’s Eve celebrations were banned amid the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

"Unlike the previous years, the Jakarta provincial government does not convene year-ender events this year. There are no music concerts, fireworks, culinary fiesta, arts and cultural performances, and so on," he confirmed.

The government has also ordered those operating hotels, restaurants, cafes, tourist sites, and other business places to not hold the New Year’s Eve celebrations, he stated.

"Please do not undermine this policy. If they have been warned of closing their businesses this evening, but they ignore the warning, we are going to crack down on them. Revoking their business permits is also possible," he stated.

The joint team of security personnel will conduct increased surveillance operations at all locations in the city, including several points on MH Thamrin and Sudirman road sections, frequently visited by crowds of people, he noted.

The Indonesian government's COVID-19 Task Force revealed that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country increased drastically between November and December, including active cases that jumped by 55 percent in a single month.

The first COVID-19 infections in Indonesia were reported on March 2 this year.

As of December 28, 2020, Indonesia had recorded a total of 719,219 COVID-19 cases, 589,978 recoveries, and 21,452 fatalities, while on December 30, 2020, Jakarta reportedly contributed the highest number of fresh cases at 2,053.

To help win the fight against the pandemic, which has posed a grave threat to public health and economy, the Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of the COVID-19 vaccine. (antaranews)