Introductory Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Limited Meeting on Discipline Enforcement against COVID-19, 29 January 2021, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java Province
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good afternoon,
Peace and prosperity be upon us.
I would like to review the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) from 11 to 25 January. We have to say as it is. It wasn’t effective. People’s mobility is still high. We have the mobility index. In some provinces, the COVID-19 cases have continued to rise.
I would like to remind the Coordinating Minister to invite as many epidemiologists as possible, so that we can devise a more comprehensive policy. In fact, the essence of PPKM is to restrict mobility, but what I saw its implementation on the ground is that we aren’t firm as well as inconsistent. Our problem lies in the implementation. So, I want you to inspect the implementation on the ground, to be more practical and simple in educating the people what 3M is.
Do prepare face masks that meet the standards. So, you can immediately give it to the people who haven’t used it, please educate them. We must use method as simple as possible and present on the ground in the provinces that we have agreed upon.
Next, it seems to me that during PPKM, our economy is declining. Actually it’s okay, as long as the COVID-19 cases are also dropping, but it wasn’t. Let’s look at it again. Please, get this really calculated until we get a formula. Yes, there is no standard formula, even in other countries. There is no standard formula, no right methods. Those countries imposing lockdown are also experiencing exponential growth.
This is what I want to say this afternoon. Then, we hope that we really intensify the vaccination program in February.
I want to know the implementation on the ground. Maybe, Minister of Religious Affairs can involve religious figures. This applies to the TNI (the Indonesian National Defense Forces) and Polri (the National Police) as well. The Coordinating Minister needs to push for it so that it can really be implemented on the ground.
That concludes my remarks.