TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo has asked for the execution of the Large Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been enacted in four provinces and 22 regencies/ cities across the country, to be evaluated.

With a number of regencies having finished their first period and is set to enter the second period of the PSBB enactment, “this needs evaluation; (identify) which ones are too excessive and which ones are still lenient," Jokowi said when opening a Limited Cabinet Meeting via Teleconference from the Bogor Palace, on Monday, May 4, 2020.

The evaluation, continued Jokowi, is necessary to make room for improvements in the enactment of the PSBB policy during the pandemic.

According to Jokowi, every region enacting the policy needs to have measurable targets, such as the number of sample PCR testing, and the number of efforts in aggressively tracking the COVID-19 outbreak as well as maintaining strict isolation.

“I still see those who tested (COVID-19) positive can still run away from hospitals, and Patients under Surveillance (PDP) can still do their activities here and there,” the President commented.

In addition, President Jokowi has also called for people at risk of COVID-19 transmission and the elderlies who have a medical record to be more closely monitored, in order to prevent potential transmission into a number of clusters.

“These (people) must really be protected," added President Jokowi.

DEWI NURITA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)