Jokowi's Large-scale Social Restriction Annuls Lockdown Option

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential spokesperson Fadjroel Rachman said the option to impose a coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown or territorial quarantine offered by a number of regions is rejected as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo decided to apply large-scale social restrictions. 

“No, it is automatically rejected. Even though a policy has been produced, regional administrations could just implement it as limited isolation. But the decision is made by the president on the national or provincial scale and the president will not impose a territorial quarantine,” said Faajroel to journalists on Tuesday, March 31. 

Fadjroel asserts that territorial quarantine is no longer discussed by the Central Government, especially after cases of social turmoil the policy has caused in India and Italy. He said that based on careful deliberation, the president considers mass-scale social limitations will suffice to combat the spread of the virus that started in Wuhan, China. 

One of the country’s regional leaders proposing territorial quarantine as an option to curb the spread of coronavirus is Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. The governor revealed that he had mentioned it in an official letter that was received by the central government on March 29. 

Jokowi’s decision to enact the large-scale social restrictions automatically rejects Anies’ proposal. 

DEWI NURITA