President Jokowi Lifts Face Mask Mandate for Outdoor Activities
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17 May 2022 20:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, in an online press conference on Tuesday, said that the public is no longer required to wear face masks for general outdoor activities and in areas that are not packed with people. The improved situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, led him to loosen the face mask protocol which was introduced early into the pandemic back in 2020.
“People are permitted to remove their face mask if they are conducting activities outdoor or in open spaces that are not heavily packed by people,” the President explained in the Youtube video uploaded by the Presidential Secretariat on May 17. “However, please continue to wear [masks] in closed spaces and public transportation.”
He strongly reminded the elderly community and people with comorbidity to continue wearing masks in their activities outside of their houses, especially people who are ill.
The second loosened covid-related restrictions include the lifting of PCR and antigen tests on arrival for travelers who have received complete vaccination doses.
Previously reported, the Covid-19 task force announced that Indonesia is transitioning to a state of endemic after claiming the number of cases has significantly dropped below 1,000 cases in the past 25 days. Moreover, the hospital bed occupancy rate is currently at 2 percent.
“It can be perceived that Indonesia is no longer in a pandemic emergency situation and can now transition towards the endemic phase,” said the Covid-19 task force spokesperson, Wiku Adisasmito.
Read: Indonesia's Booster dose Recipients Reach 42.4 Mn
M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH
