Directives of President of the Republic of Indonesia for Regional Leaders on COVID-19 Handling, Monday, 17 May 2021, at the State Palace, DKI Jakarta Province

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

May Peace Be Upon Us All,

Shalom,
Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue.

Distinguished Vice President;

Honorable Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet;

Honorable Governors and Vice Governors, Regents and Vice Regents,

Mayors and Vice Mayors and members of the Provincial Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda),

Commanders of Regional Military Command (Pangdam),

Regional Police Chiefs (Kapolda),

High Prosecutor’s Office Heads (Kajati),

Members of the Regional Forkopimda,

Resort Police Chief (Kapolres),

Military Resort Commands (Danrem),

Military Regional Commands (Dandim),

District Prosecutor’s Office Heads (Kajari) and all members of Regional Secretariat and assistants,

Head of the COVID-19 Task Force,

Speakers and Vice Speakers of Regional Legislative Council;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this Islamic month of Syawal, Vice President and I would like to wish all Muslims a happy   Eid al-Fitr 1442 Hijri,minal aidin wal faizin. Let us forgive each other. We would also like to wish all Christians a happy Ascension Day. 

Now let us move to the main topic. Post-Eid day, we have to be careful. We really have to remain vigilant of the potential number of COVID-19 new cases. Although we have issued the homecoming (mudik) ban policy, based on the report I received earlier this morning, about 1.5 million people still participate in the mudik during 6-17 May 2021.

I have stated that 33 percent of the public have expressed their intention to participate in the mudik. Afterwards, we implemented the ban policy, bringing the number down to 11 percent. After massive dissemination from the Government, it dropped again to 7 percent. And during the implementation of the policy as there were restrictions, it dropped significantly to 1.1 percent. The figure percent seems to be a small number indeed but if the percentage is converted to the actual number or 1.4 to 1.5 million people, it is still a huge number.

Therefore although I noticed that tourist attractions were crowded and 1.5 million people participated in mudik, we hope that the number of active cases will not be high compared to those in the past years. Why?

There has been a decrease in the number of active cases compared to the case peak in February, or on 5 February this year to be exact which reached 176 thousand active cases. Now the number of active cases has decreased to 90,800 or dropped 48 percent. Once again, the decrease is 48 percent. This is what we have to do to keep the number of active cases low.

We have to build resilience, endurance because (this pandemic) will impossibly end within a month, two months. Be extra cautious of the second wave, the third wave. In our neighboring countries the case spike has started to loom. Malaysia has declared lockdown until June. Singapore has also declared lockdown since May and the restriction there is getting tighter in recent weeks. We have to learn from our neighboring countries.

Now we have valid data about COVID-19 cases in provinces. Be cautious for all provinces in Sumatra island. The number of cases in fiften provinces has increased. Be extra cautious for Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Babel, DKI Jakarta, Maluku, Banten, West Nusa Tenggara, North Maluku, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and Gorontalo. We can now see the details from the graphics and the curves. We have marked areas with red and green colors. Some of them are in Sumatra, most of them are in Java, and there are also in Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

This is the weekly growth of COVID-19 cases in Sumatra island. Be aware. It is clear to us that there is a downward trend in Aceh, but the figure remains high. North Sumatra is also the same – there is an upward trend there. In addition, West Sumatra is also at a high position but there is a downward trend, and also in other provinces. South Sumatra is at a high position but there is also a downward trend there. The weekly growth in Bangka Belitung is also high but there is a downward trend.

Jambi is also the same, there is a downward trend. We have to be aware. The drastic drop occurred only in Bengkulu, so we marked it with a green color. But, it is not a green zone, which illustrates a decrease, weekly decrease so that the downward trend can be seen. In Riau and Riau islands, we also have to be cautious as the cases have increased and there is still not a downward trend. Lampung is also at a high position but there is a downward trend. Once again, we have to be ware.

Now let us discuss about the Bed Occupancy Ratio (BOR), the ratio of bed occupancy in hospitals. The target we have set is below 50 percent. There are also some provinces with the BOR higher than 50 percent. Meanwhile, our current national BOR, the ratio of bed occupancy in hospitals all over Indonesia, is in a safe position, namely at 29 percent.

As I said, there are some provinces with the BOR higher than 29 percent and some of them are still higher than 50 percent. All Governors, Regents, and Mayors should be aware these parameters.

Three provinces have to be cautious as the BOR in North Sumatra reached 56 percent, in Riau islands reached 53 percent, and in Riau reached 52 percent. If there are lot of people in the hospital, it means we have to be cautious, extra cautious, because it is higher than the national BOR amounting to 29 percent.

Our national BOR used to be higher than 80 percent. I often use emergency hospital for COVID-19 Kemayoran Athlete Village in Jakarta as reference to review the national BOR. This hospital can accommodate many COVID-19 patients. In September 2020 the BOR at the Athlete Village reached higher 90 percent. I remember that and I was so scared. Higher than 90 percent meant in the next two weeks if the number of cases could not decrease, the hospital would be fully occupied and could collapse.

But now, earlier this morning I called. If I do not call at night, I will call in the morning. Earlier this morning, I called the Athlete Village (to get information). According to them, the BOR, which used to reach higher than 90 percent, today it only reached 15.5 percent. 

Therefore, I order all Governors, Regents, Mayors, Military Commanders (Pangdam) Military Regional Commands (Dandim), Military Resort Commands (Danrem), Regional Police Chiefs (Kapolda), Resort Police Chief (Kapolres), High Prosecutor’s Office Heads (Kajati), District Prosecutor’s Office Heads (Kajari), Regional Secretaries, and assistants to know about these parameters in each region so that we all know what to do. If you lack medicine, do let Health Minister know about that so that the Ministry could deliver the medicine. If there are vaccine supplies, prioritize the elderly and if the vaccine supply is low, let Health Minister know.

Based on these graphics and curves, I notice that mobility of the community in Eid day, especially in tourist attractions rose drastically, 38-100.8 percent. Please be cautious for these next two weeks. Because there is an increase, the mobility of the index has increased up to 38-100.8 percent.

To all Governors, Regents, Mayors, whose regions are still in the red zone and the orange zone, you should be extra cautious. Tourist attractions must be temporarily closed. Whose regions are in the yellow and green zone, they can open the tourist attractions but once again the officers must be there.

The task forces also must be there, so that strict health protocols can still be observed. Do not let the management run badly.

Moreover, we have to be cautious about the issue of hotel occupancy. Once again, we have to pull the gas and the brakes of emergency in the right way.

In Riau islands the number of hotel occupancy has increased from 10 percent to 80 percent. It is great for the economy, but we have also to be cautious for COVID-19.

In Jakarta there was also an increase from 36 percent to 53 percent.

In Banten, the number has also increased from 26 percent to 43 percent.

In Lampung the increase was from 30 percent to 45 percent.

On the economic aspect, it is great, but on COVID-19 aspect, it must be properly controlled.

Let us keep observing health protocols. If we can manage both aspects well, control them with strict management. The number of hotel room occupancy will not be problem. But if we could not handle them, it would worse. Be cautious.

Last but not least, according to WHO, COVID-19 pandemic control indicator is an indicator of response capacity. One of the important things is cooperation between the Central Government and regions governments. Together, we have to provide testing. The more testing we do, the better result we will get.

The second is tracing. We also have to pay attention to this. If there are one person who tests positive, tracking must be carried out correctly: who he/she met within 15 minutes and a minimum one-meter distance; how many people should be checked properly, how many people should be sent to isolation and quarantine. This is our weakness: tracing. After tracing, we can move to treatment. I guess all participants here know this already. Okay, that is all about COVID-19 topic.

Then, let’s talk about economy. We are all aware that in the first quarter of 2020, we posted a positive growth at 2.97 percent, then, in the second quarter of March 2020 we found the first cases of COVID-19.

In the second quarter of April-May-June 2020, our economy contracted to minus 5.32 percent. In the third quarter of 2020, the economy improved but our economic growth was minus 3.49 percent.  And in the fourth quarter, our economy was minus 2.19 percent.

In 2021, the first quarter of January-February-March 2021, there was an improvement but our economy was minus 0.74 percent. It was still minus. Be cautious, our first quarter was still minus 0.74 percent.

We have set national economic target based on the aggregate pool of economic growth in provinces, regencies, and cities.

Therefore, all Governors, Regents, and Mayors share the same responsibility in contributing to our national economic growth.

The target that we have set in the second quarter should be about seven percent. Let us imagine that: from minus 0.74 percent. We have to achieve seven percent as target. The indication to reach that target depends on our hard work together.

Earlier this morning, I got report that money circulation during the Eid al-Fitr period reached Rp154.5 trillion. There was an increase compared to Eid al-Fitr 2020. There was a 41.5-percent increase, a 41-percent increase, I said. It is positive to improve our optimism. But we have to still be cautious of COVID-19 issue.

If we review economic growth in the first quarter at provincial level, some of provinces posted a negative growth. The positive growth was only reported in Riau at 0.41 percent. In this first quarter, Papua reported a positive growth at 14.28 percent -, the highest growth.

Central Sulawesi reached a growth of 6.26 percent, Yogyakarta reached 6.14 percent, there are provinces with positive growth, North Sulawesi reached 1.87 percent, Southeast Sulawesi reached 0.06 percent, East Nusa Tenggara reached 0.12 percent, West Papua reached 1.47 percent, Bangka Belitung reached 0.97 percent, North Maluku reached 13.45 percent. Other provinces still reported a negative growth. Provinces with a positive growth were only one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten… ten provinces reported a positive growth. It means the rest 24 provinces still have negative growth.

We have to work hard and remain optimistic so in the second quarter our target of seven percent can be achieved. We hope that all provinces can have positive growth in second quarter this year.

We have to remain aware of COVID-19 issues. Do not just consider at only one aspect, on the economy aspect, but also consider the health aspect. Both economy and health aspect must go hand in hand. 

And that concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion.

Once again, I hope that what I stated today can be a database and a spirit to address both economic and COVID-19 issues. 

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (AP/EP)