VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 and would immediately quarantine and begin the “recovery process.”

“We will get through this,” Trump tweeted.

Trump’s positive test follows news that Hope Hicks, a top adviser and trusted aide, had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Hicks travels regularly with the president on Air Force One and, along with other senior aides, accompanied him to Ohio for the presidential debate on Tuesday and to Minnesota for a campaign event on Wednesday.

Trump, who is tested regularly for the virus that causes COVID-19, has kept up a rigorous travel schedule across the country in recent weeks, holding rallies with thousands of people in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds.

Trump has come under sharp criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States alone. The president has touted his management of the crisis. (Reuters)

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin asked the Indonesian Police to guarantee the security of the 2020 regional election (Pilkada) and violations of the COVID-19 health protocol must go hand in hand.

When delivering material at the 29th National Police for Regular Education School of Staff and Leadership Seminar 2020 virtually from the vice president's official residence in Jakarta, Friday, Ma'ruf Amin said that the COVID-19 pandemic presents its own challenges for the Police to carry out security duties.

"On the one hand, we need to concentrate on handling COVID-19 and it must ensure security against the ongoing election process. For that, it is necessary to expect and prepare well," Ma'ruf Amin said in Jakarta, Friday.

In normal situations, we cannot doubt the ability of the National Police in overseeing the implementation of a democratic party, both in the 2019 Presidential Election and the 2018 Simultaneous Pilkada, he said.

However, a pandemic situation requires extra work for the police in carrying out their duties. Ma'ruf also asked the National Police to maintain neutrality as a state apparatus, especially when handling potential or cases of violations during the 2020 simultaneous regional elections.

"The National Police continues to maintain neutrality as a state apparatus regarding potential violations such as hoaxes and black campaigns, money politics, mass mobilization and activities that have the potential to violate health protocols during the pandemic," he said.

The Vice President also expressed his appreciation to the leadership and all levels of the National Police for maintaining and reminding the public to comply with health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic forces all communities to adjust to a new order that adheres to health protocols, to produce optimal performance. Implementing the new order requires guarding on all fronts, so that the entire community obeys, said Ma'ruf.

"Because as long as preventive vaccines and curative drugs are not yet available, adherence to implementing health protocols is the only most effective way (to) prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus," he said. (Antaranews)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the government will reform its policy through the Omnibus Law to attract more investment to Indonesia.

"We are pushing for the ratification of the Omnibus Law and supporting businesses and communities affected by Covid-19," he said in a written statement in Jakarta, Friday.

Luhut conveyed this when he was the Speaker of the National Webinar on Investment in Islamic Countries in Indonesia in Jakarta, Thursday.

According to Luhut, the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit Indonesia since last March has not only caused death but also had a negative impact on the economic sector. Therefore, investment is one of the needed boosters for economic growth.

"The pandemic will cause people's purchasing power to decline, thus affecting consumption. Therefore, it needs a boost from government spending and additional investment," he said.

Apart from focusing on policy reforms to invite investment, another strategy of the government is to focus on developing the infrastructure sector.

The former Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security said that apart from China, as well as western countries, investment from Islamic countries from Arab and African countries in Indonesia is also quite significant.

Indonesia has even signed a memorandum of understanding of US $22.8 billion with the United Arab Emirates on January 12, 2020.

Details of the cooperation include sustainable energy development, sharing a vision of green growth to transform energy security into sustainable energy, and support value genuine Islam in encouraging tolerance.

"Foreign investment companies (PMA) from Islamic countries in 2019 were dominated by the United Arab Emirates at 69.7 percent," Luhut said.

Indonesia is also collaborating with the United Arab Emirates company, namely G42, to produce the COVID-19 vaccine.

"They UAE are committed to providing 10 million doses for Indonesia and undertaking broader cooperation for pharmaceutical products in the markets of the Middle East, Africa, and several other countries," added Luhut.

In the same webinar, the Indonesian Ambassador to Abu Dhabi Husin Bagis revealed the opportunities for Islamic countries to invest in Indonesia.

According to him, there are 57 countries that are predominantly Muslim but only a few rich Muslim countries. Husin also gave an example of Saudi Arabia which can produce 12 million barrels of oil, Abu Dhabi's 14 million barrels.

"A lot of energy reserves, but the population is small, the money is a lot. Where is the money going? Yes, investment," said Husin.

Husin said because they are rich, these countries only want to invest in countries with easy bureaucracy. Investments in Indonesia have become less attractive to them because of the complexity of the bureaucracy.

"Abu Dhabi's Sovereign Wealth Fund is huge, but what makes them less interested in investing in Indonesia is because we don't have any projects that can offer clean deals," he explained.

This, he added, caused the project to end up stalled due to being stuck in the administrative process. (Antaranews)

The GAVI vaccine alliance’s board has approved up to $150 million to help 92 low- and middle-income countries prepare for the delivery of future COVID-19 vaccines, including technical assistance and cold chain equipment, it said on Thursday.

The initial funds will help establish the COVAX facility at an operational level and ensure routine immunisation programmes continue in eligible countries, GAVI said in a statement.

In all, 168 countries have joined the COVAX global vaccine facility, led by GAVI and the World Health Organization (WHO), including 76 wealthy or self-financing countries, it said. COVAX aims to deliver 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021. (Reuters)