President Jokowi Reminds Riau Leaders to Curb COVID-19 Spread as Cases Spike

President Jokowi inspected mass COVID-19 vaccination at Pekanbaru Sports Arena in Pekanbaru city, Riau province (19/05/2021). (Photo by: Press Media and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has reminded regional leaders in Riau province to continue to take measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the province.

Riau is one of the provinces that has reported an upward trend of COVID-19 active cases.

Based on data as of 16 May 2021, the bed occupancy ratio (BOR) of COVID-19 isolation rooms and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) rooms in the province reached 52 percent, higher than the national BOR average at 29 percent.

“This morning I warned about the spread of COVID-19 in Riau province. I said that that cities and regencies that have a high rate of COVID-19 positive case spread should immediately curb the spread in order to reduce cases,” the President said after inspecting mass COVID-19 vaccination at Pekanbaru Sport Arena in the Riau provincial capital of Pekanbaru, Wednesday (19/05/2021).

This mass vaccination was to target approximately 10,800 people, which include public servants, teachers, religious leaders, community leaders, and the elderly.

The Head of State also said he had ordered Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to increase COVID-19 vaccine supplies for the province that will be mainly used for vaccination in Pekanbaru and in the coastal town of Dumai.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also expressed hopes that by continuing intensive vaccinations, community immunity or herd immunity can be immediately achieved and COVID-19 spread in Riau province can be curbed.

“If the COVID-19 pandemic can be curbed, we expect economic growth in Riau province will improve and be restored in the second quarter this year,” he remarked. (FID/UN) (AP/EP)