COVID-19 Task Force Appreciates KPU for Banning Regional Head Candidates from Inviting Crowds

Simultaneous regional elections on 9 December 2020 (Source: KPU).

The COVID-19 Handling Task Force has expressed its appreciation to the General Election Commission (KPU) for revising the KPU regulations and issuing sanctions for regional head candidates who hold events with the potential in attracting crowds.

For the record, as of 24 September 2020, there were 4,634 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the cumulative number has reached 262,022 cases.

The number of additional cases higher than 4000 cases has been going on since the beginning of this week.

According to the Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito, activities of regional head candidates participating in the 2020 simultaneous regional elections have contributed to the alarming condition.

The Task Force is highly concerned about regional head candidates who are still holding events, that can cause the build-up of crowds amid the pandemic, he added.

“Whatever the reason, the people’s representatives who are elected by the people should be able to protect their people, the safety of their people, so that this ‘democratic fiesta’ can be carried out well,” Wiku stated during a press conference at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Thursday (24/9).

Furthermore, Wiku stated that in the KPU Regulation Number 13/2020, all activities with the potential to attract crowds such as music concerts, bazaars and competitions are completely prohibited.

The activities can be carried out online or virtually, he added.

The spokesperson also stressed that the commitment by the community and regional head candidates can protect the community in the election process, while dismissing the bias in the midst of society regarding the handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic and responded to criticism and rectified various negative issues.

The Government, Wiku said, has massively disseminated the implementation of 3M (using face masks, maintaining distance and avoiding crowds) and implemented 3T (testing, tracing, and treatment) program.

“Discipline in implementing health protocols is the main step in overcoming the pandemic and it can be done from the start of the pandemic onwards. This can protect the public from the Sars-Cov2 virus attack,” he explained.

The spokesperson also acknowledged that many in the communities are still ignoring the health protocols and have negative points of view towards the COVID-19 positive patients.

He also urged the public not to be affected by irresponsible news calling the COVID-19 pandemic as a conspiracy.

Wiku also expressed hope on the collaboration between the community and the Government in curbing the number of COVID-19 transmission and urged the communities to take the initiatives to get tested.

“The Government also ensures that it will bear the costs of treatment for COVID-19 patients, whether they are the participants of Social Security Agency for Health (BPJS Kesehatan) or not,” Wiku stated.

On the development of self-isolation patient handling, he added that the Task Force assisted by the local government and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan has collaborated with the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in 9 priority provinces.

The collaboration, he added, is to provide hotels that will accommodate asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who must self-isolate.

On the capacity, as of 22 September 2020 the available hotels in some of the provinces are 6 hotels with 449 rooms in North Sumatera province, 17 hotels with 949 rooms in West Java province, 31 hotels with 4,116 rooms in capital Jakarta, 16 hotels with 2,160 rooms in East Java province, 10 hotels with 1,559 rooms in Bali province, 13 hotels with 992 rooms in South Kalimantan province and 13 hotels 1,797 rooms in Papua province.

In addition, the Government is also synchronizing data on the development of the COVID-19 cases so that the data can be displayed in real time to the public.

The Government, he added, is also still in the process of declaring the PCR swab test ceiling and the results will be announced immediately to the public so that they can get the test at an affordable price. (Communication Team of the COVID-19 Mitigation and PEN Committee/EN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas