VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

PHOTO : NUKE VOI

Head of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling Doni Monardo stated the government has made assurance of food stocks sufficing until the subsequent three to four months. As quoted by Antara News Agency, Monardo informed the press after a virtual meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Monday that the agriculture minister has conveyed that food stocks will remain adequate for the next three to four months. Furthermore, he pointed to the prices of some food commodities still being under control. He remarked though the cost of basic necessities had earlier spiked, the prices of some of them have been under control now. At the meeting, President Jokowi has reiterated the criticality of taking requisite steps as a precautionary measure against a likely global food crisis as cited by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as an upshot of the COVID-19 pandemic//Ant

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on the Ministry of Health to bring about improvements in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.As stated by Antara News Agency, the president  at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday during a limited meeting held via video teleconference to discuss countermeasures to handle the COVID-19 pandemic explained the handling of COVID-19 patients should be completely regulated. COVID-19 patients, with mild to moderate symptoms, can be treated at the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital. At a joint meeting with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, ministers of the Advanced Indonesian Cabinet, and chair of the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling as well as Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo, the president stated that only patients in need of intensive care should be hospitalized//Ant

Visitors at last year's Jakarta Fair. (ANTARA)

Jakarta Fair organizers, PT Jakarta International (JI) Expo Kemayoran, have decided to delay convening the annual event after deliberations with representatives from central and provincial governments as well as the police and military.

The decision has been made in view of the efforts mounted by the central and regional governments on a war-footing to fight the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which has resulted in 399 deaths so far across Indonesia, with Jakarta reporting the highest number of deaths.

"To all Jakarta Fair's participants and people at large, we officially inform that the convening of the Jakarta Fair Kemayoran, which had been scheduled from May 14 to June 28, has been delayed," JI Expo marketing director Ralph Scheunemann said here Monday.

The decision was made after the JI Expo management met with representatives from the central government, Jakarta provincial administration, National Police, and Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI), he informed via a press statement.

Further information on this year's Jakarta Fair, which has become an annual feature commemorating Jakarta's anniversary, would be announced through mainstream media and social media platform @jakartafairid.

"I call on community members not to be worried because the Jakarta Fair Kemayoran is not canceled. It is just delayed. We will provide the latest update if the situation improves," Scheunemann said.

Jakarta Fair Kemayoran is the biggest annual event showcasing Indonesian products from large as well as small and medium enterprises and creative industries. Visitors to the fair are also entertained with live musical performances and food.

Due to the ongoing threat posed by the deadly pandemic, which has spread across all 34 provinces in Indonesia, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has declared it a national disaster.

President Jokowi has accorded national disaster status to the COVID-19 outbreak in a letter (number 12/2020) dated 13 April, 2020, which highlights several points, including the appointment of the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Doni Monardo, to lead the COVID-19 task force.

The Task Force for the Accelerated Handling of COVID-19 will work on mitigating the impact of the pandemic through coordinated effort with the concerned ministries, government agencies, and regional administrations.

The letter has also named governors, district heads, and city mayors as the heads of the COVID-19 task forces in their respective regions. While drawing up regional policies, they will be required to refer to the policies formulated by the central government.

The national disaster status implies that in the phase of emergency response, the BNPB will use the budget allocated to it by the government.

As of Monday, Indonesia has reported 4,557 confirmed cases, with 399 fatalities and 380 patient recoveries.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported across all 34 provinces of Indonesia, with Jakarta serving as the main hotspot of the pandemic, which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019 and then spread across the world. (ANTARA)

Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Doni Monardo, at Graha BNPB, Jakarta, Monday (March 23, 2020). (ANTARA)

During the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health, and not other ministries, will apply, said the chairman of the COVID-19 task force on Monday.

"Minister of Transportation ad interim Luhut Binsar Panjaitan has reported that, basically, the Minister of Transportation's regulation is effective until the social assistance program is implemented. So, after the social assistance program runs, the Transportation Minister’s regulation will be adjusted," said Monardo, chairman of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, at Graha BNPB, Jakarta.

“So, we are still referring to the Health Minister's regulation regarding physical distancing, where maintaining distance is a priority, despite the regulation issued by the Ministry of Transportation prescribing health protocols, such as spraying of disinfectants and use of protective equipment," the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

The two rules were issued to support the PSBB, but caused problems for motorcycle taxis. Under the Regulation of the Minister of Health (PMK) No. 9 of 2020 concerning PSBB, two-wheeled vehicles can only be used to transport goods.

This is stated in appendix PMK No. 9 of 2020, dated April 3, 2020: "Freight forwarding services, including application-based two-wheeled transportation facilities with restrictions only for transporting goods and not for passengers".

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation's Regulation No. PM 18 of 2020 concerning Transportation Control in the Context of Preventing the Spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019, signed by the Minister of Transportation ad interim, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, and dated April 9, 2020, states that two-wheeled vehicles can carry passengers under certain conditions.

Article 11, letter d, of the regulation, states: "In certain cases, for the purpose of serving the interests of the community and for personal interests, motorbikes can transport passengers on the condition that they must meet health protocols, that is, (for) other activities that are permitted during large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).”

In addition, it prescribes disinfecting vehicles and equipment before and after use, wearing masks and gloves, and refraining from driving vehicles if sick.

“As per a number of ministerial reports, around 1.65 million of our citizens have been laid off. The distribution of social assistance through the 'social safety net' program will begin immediately so that affected communities, especially in Greater Jakarta, can immediately get support, especially basic food assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs," Monardo said. (ANTARA)