TEMPO.CO, Semarang - Tegal Mayor Dedy Yon Supriyono said he had not received any reprimands from Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian for road closures following the Tegal COVID-19 lockdown.

Geared to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in Tegal, Dedy has closed a number of access routes to the city since March 30, 2020.

Dedy claimed the Tegal lockdown was not in violation of any orders from the central government or the Central Java Provincial Government, as the Tegal lockdown only curbed social movement for residents.

“If certain access routes need to be opened, the COVID-19 Task Force will be stationed there,” Dedy said on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Dedy went on to say he has also applied for the status of Large Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) for his city.

"After the President's statement [which issued the PSBB Government Regulation], the next morning we applied it [for PSBB status]" he added.

According to Dedy, the Tegal City Government has earmarked a budget of Rp27.5 billion to handle the impact of COVID-19. The budget will be allocated to, among others, ensure the provision of staple foods for Tegal residents. Staple foods worth Rp110,000, Dedy continued, would be distributed monthly to 16,200 people.

Previously, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received reports of two regions that applied road closures, which disrupted the supply of goods. As a result, he ordered Tito Karnavian to reprimand the regional heads who blocked access due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The distribution of rice is disrupted because the roads are closed. Please inform the regional head of this," Jokowi said when opening a limited meeting via video conference from the Presidential Palace, Bogor, on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Jamal A Nashr | Dio Suhenda (Intern Translator)