COVID-19 Task Force Comments on McDonald's Sarinah Farewell Crowd
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11 May 2020 17:39 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The COVID-19 task force spokesperson Achmad Yurianto on Monday commented on the gathering that happened at the McDonald’s outlet the in Sarinah shopping center, Central Jakarta, last night. The gathering is reportedly part of a farewell ceremony for the outlet that officially closed on May 10th.
“It should not have happened,” said Yurianto in a text message to Tempo on Monday.
He said that such mass-gatherings should not have formed amid the city’s large-scale social restriction (PSBB) protocol, and that he entirely handed this matter to the Jakarta administration to impose a rightly punishment or fine on the event’s organizer.
“Because the PSBB is managed regionally,” he continued.
On Sunday, May 10th, hundreds of people gathered at the location at 22:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB). According to a previous report, McDonald’s Sarinah official Instagram account aired a live stream about the closure, which eventually attracted a crowd.
The fast-food restaurant located on Jalan MH Thamrin was Indonesia’s first McDonald's outlet that had operated since February 23, 1991. McDonald’s Indonesia explained that the closure was based on the demand of Sarinah management that planned to perform a massive renovation.
M ROSSENO AJI
