Jokowi to Conduct 'Wear Face Mask' Campaign on a Massive Scale

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered to conduct a two-week "wear face mask" campaign on a massive scale throughout Indonesia to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

"I just want to focus. It might be in two weeks. We will focus on the campaign on wearing face masks," Jokowi stated while chairing a limited cabinet meeting on COVID-19 handling and national economic recovery at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

The head of state cited the latest COVID-19 data that recovery rate of such cases in Indonesia reached 61.9 percent, which he believes had gotten better, and the figure was expected to continue to increase.

Hence, Jokowi is keen that the people give serious attention to health protocols and amend their behavior accordingly.

The president also called for a stage-wise implementation of the behavioral change campaign, right from the “wear face mask” campaign in the initial stage.

"Later, after two weeks, the campaign should be on social distancing or hand washing, for instance. Do not club together matters on hand washing, social distancing, crowd prevention, or mask wearing," he explained.

Jokowi opined that a campaign covering all those matters at once would make it difficult for the public to grasp and assimilate.

"The upper and middle classes might be able to understand it quickly, but the lower class, I think, needs to take it up one by one," he stated.

Moreover, the head of state is looking to involve members of the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) to help conduct a door-to-door campaign to wear masks.

"I think (members of) the PKK will be able to conduct a door-to-door wear a mask campaign effectively," Jokowi affirmed.

The president expressed optimism that the campaign and communication conducted massively via television and social media would help to change the public’s behavior.

Read also: Glass Shields Set Up on Jokowi's Oval Table as COVID-19 Protection

ANTARA