Archive: Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto (right) with Mayor of Depok City in a visit to the Depok Setia Mitra Hospital, West Java, Monday (2/3/2020) (ANTARA

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto has officially enforced the large scale social distancing measure in West Java Province's Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi areas in order to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The stipulation was stated in the Health Minister Decree Number HK.01.07 / Menkes / 248/2020 signed by the Minister of Health on April 11.

"I need to enforce the large scale social distancing measure (PSBB) for the Bogor District, Bogor City, Depok City, Bekasi District, and Bekasi City, in the effort to accelerate the handling of COVID-19," said Minister Terawan in a statement received in Jakarta, Sunday.

He had approved the proposal for PSBB enforcement to the five areas in West Java Province, based on epidemiological studies and consideration of readiness to carry out the measure.

In accordance with the Decree of the Minister of Health, then the Government of Bogor District, Bogor City, Depok City, Bekasi District, and Bekasi City are obliged to implement the large scale social distancing measure and consistently encourage and promote a clean and healthy lifestyle to the community.

According to the decree, PSBBs in the areas are carried out for the most of the incubation period of 14 days, and could be extended should there be evidences of COVID-19 spread.

On Wednesday, April 8, the Provincial Government of West Java submitted a request for the simultaneous enforcement of PSBB for five parts of its territory to the Ministry of Health.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said the measure needed to be conducted in Bogor District, Bogor City, Depok City, Bekasi District, and Bekasi City, as the five regions are in a cluster with Jakarta.

Jakarta Province had previously received the approval of the PSBB enforcement from the Minister of Health on 7 April. (ANTARA)

Government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling, Achmad Yurianto (ANTARA)

The Indonesian Government has appealed to citizens, asking them not to raise objections against the burial of patients dying of COVID-19 in their areas.

"They are our brothers and sisters. They are our family that has fallen victim to this pandemic. Even some of them died while on duty. Let us pay our respect to them. There is no reason to be afraid or reject (the bodies),” said a spokesperson for COVID-19 response, Achmad Yurianto, at a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday as quoted by Antara.

He assured that bodies of patients who have succumbed to COVID-19 are being treated as per international protocols. The bodies are wrapped in plastic bags before they are placed and sealed into coffins, which are then sprayed with disinfectant, he informed.

All these processes are being handled by trained officers, hence there is no chance for the spread of coronavirus to areas near a cemetery, Yurianto said.

The number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia has continued to increase. As of Saturday the total tally of confirmed cases to 3,842, with 286 have recovered, while 327 have died. (Antara)

Indonesian military personnel assist the transportation and distribution of items of personal protective equipment (ANTARA)

Indonesia's COVID-19 Task Force Head Doni Monardo confirmed, Saturday, that 650,000 hazmat suits were distributed to Indonesian provinces to fulfill the requirements of hospitals to protect their paramedics in combating the deadly new coronavirus disease.

"As of Saturday, April 11, 2020, some 650 thousand hazmat suits have been distributed," he told ANTARA in Jakarta when queried on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for paramedics fighting on the frontline against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monardo elaborated on the number of hazmat suits distributed to all provinces in Sumatra Island, with Aceh alone receiving 13 thousand pieces; North Sumatra, 24,500; West Sumatra, 16 thousand; and Riau, 12,500.

The Riau Islands Province received 22,350 pieces; Jambi, 9,350; South Sumatra, 15 thousand; Bangka Belitung, 9,050; Bengkulu, 9,400; and Lampung, 11 thousand.

Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, which has emerged as the epicenter of the new coronavirus disease based on a large number of confirmed cases and death toll, had received 121,950 hazmat suits while West Java got 62 thousand pieces, he revealed.

Monardo suggested public hospitals experiencing a dearth of PPE, including hazmat suits, to notify the health office in their respective provinces.

In response, the health office would contact the Task Force to get the equipment, Monardo, concurrently head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated.

"Local hospitals should bring to the notice of the provincial health office any problems, such as a shortage of PPE. The health office will thereafter contact the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling," he remarked.

The task force had formed a special team with the support of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to distribute the healthcare equipment to all regions in the country, he stated.

The shortage of PPE has turned out to be a serious challenge for Indonesian doctors and paramedics in the early stages of Indonesia's endeavors to fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. (ANTARA)

Traffic Director of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Senior Commissioner   Sambodo Purnomo Yogo (left) symbolically handed over a package of aid to be distributed to the people ij need particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta on Sunday (ANTARA)

The Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police on Sunday distributed 25 tons of rice as assistance from the public to low-income people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in and around Jakarta.

"Today we will share (joy) with the public. We will help (solve) the difficulties faced by the people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," Traffic Director of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Senior Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said

The Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police has received 70 tons of basic necessities as assistance from the public to help augment low-income people's needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first stage, the traffic directorate distributed 25 tons of rice to the low-income people in and around Jakarta on Sunday.

"Right now we have received 70 tons (of basic necessities) from all layers of the community. We will distribute it not only today but the other days as well. In the first phase, we will distribute 5,000 packages of five kilograms of rice," he said.

"We will distribute the assistance to anybody who according to us deserves to receive it. They include taxi drivers, app-based motorcycle tax drivers, scavengers, cigarette vendors, coffee vendors, street sweepers, gardeners, beggars, pedicab drivers, bajaj transport drivers, and somebody else who deserve to receive it," he said.

The aid was distributed to the low-income people using 150 cars and motorcycles owned by the Traffic Directorate of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police. (ANTARA)