Jokowi: Only Central Govt Has Right to Initiate Lockdown
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Markus Wisnu Murti
Senin, 16 Maret 2020 15:49 WIB
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) gets ready to deliver a press conference on the mitigation of the coronavirus at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Sunday, March 15, 2020. ANTARA/Sigid Kurniawan
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has asked the central government and regional administrations to conduct in-depth studies prior to issuing public policies amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
The president said this was meant to keep from possibly further worsening the situation.
“The decision to commit to a lockdown must not be taken by regional administrations. The central government has reserved the right to do so, and there are no such policies until now,” said Jokowi at the Bogor Presidential Palace.
What needs to be focused on, he said, is how to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. One of them is by reducing the mobility of people from one space to another. He also urged people to avoid visiting crowded places.
“Public transportation must continue to be operated by the central and regional government but pay attention to hygiene,” said Jokowi, “Most important of all is to reduce the level of density and crowd.”
