TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo asserted that the government was focusing on controlling the spread of Covid-19 as it is the key to recovering the economy.

“I remind this again that the key to improve our economy is good public health. This means our number one focus is still the public health, Covid-19 mitigation,” said the President when opening a plenary cabinet meeting on Covid-19 handling and economic recovery at Jakarta State Palace, Monday, September 7.

He asked the Covid-19 mitigation and economic recovery committee, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto, the Indonesian Military (TNI), and the National Police to focus on containing the pandemic. “The economy will follow. Once again, good Covid-19 mitigation, good public health, will lead to a better economy,” the state head underlined.

The national Covid-19 mitigation task force spokesman, Wiku Adisasmito, said the pandemic situation in Indonesia was alarming as the country could not yet manage to suppress and prevent virus transmission consistently. Previously, the task force claimed to have succeeded in controlling the virus spread.

Meanwhile, the founder of a community group to safeguard issues related to Covid-19 dubbed Kawal Covid-19, Ainun Najib, said Indonesia was still at the beginning of the pandemic as the curve of new cases kept increasing. “Data of new daily cases still on the rise, and there is no sign of flattening the curve,” he said on Thursday, September 3.

Read also: COVID-19 Recoveries Increase, Fatality Rate Fluctuates: Wiku

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