TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said the government has declined the Covid-19 vaccination request for family members of the city’s legislative council (DPRD) and asserts that they are currently not a priority.

Asked about the vaccination request Deputy Patria conceded “Well of course [it’s rejected] and DPRD family members are not priorities,” said the Jakarta Deputy Governor at City Hall on March 3.

He explained that the reason for the rejection is that the Jakarta administration has set priority groups that are considered worthy to be first recipients of the limited number of vaccines with healthcare workers remaining as top priority.

The deputy governor also explained that market traders, public service workers, security personnel, and journalists are also prioritized recipients as these professions interact with many people on a daily basis.

The DPRD Jakarta filed the request through deputy speaker Mohamad Taufik who announced that DPRD legislators and civil servants have been vaccinated since Tuesday and clarified the statement made by DPRD Speaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi who initially said family members would be recipients.

However, the latter statement by the Speaker was actually a request as DPRD members had asked for it but has yet been approved by the Jakarta Administration.

Read: Govt to Inject 1 Mn Covid-19 Vaccines a Day in June

ADAM PRIREZA | IMAM HAMDI