Govt Assistance Distributed Ahead of Jakarta's Social Restriction

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Counting down the hours ahead of Jakarta’s large-scale social restriction (PSBB) protocol due to be implemented on Friday, Metro Jaya Police and the military distributed government staple foodstuffs “sembako” assistance for impoverished city residents. 

This comes as an anticipative measure following the economic impacts of imposing the stricter social restriction. The distribution was conducted from door-to-door by the team as to prevent creating crowds of people gathering in a single location. 

“The distribution is meant to not gather residents as a crowd. We handed it to the lower economy, especially in the grassroots that are in need [of assistance],” said Metro Jaya police chief Gen. Nana Sudjana on Wednesday. 

At the same time, Nana explained that the large-scale social restriction (PSBB) constitutes Metro Jaya Police to disperse large public group gatherings and send people home. However, the police chief elaborates that police personnel will only enforce physical distancing if a gathering is too large to disperse. 

The Jakarta Administration, in Wednesday’s press conference at City Hall, announced that Jakarta residents that are severely hit by the social restriction protocol, especially the economically impoverished, will be given government assistance in the form of staple foodstuffs.

ANTARA