The Jakarta Post
As President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration handles crisis after crisis in the first five months of his second term in office, some of his aides have been criticized for public statements that have caused anxiety and distrust in the government. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has been criticized for his lack of transparency and sluggish efforts to test for and trace the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while other countries have scrambled to improve public health measures to contain the global outbreak. While declaring the country virus-free and asking people to keep praying, the minister did not carefully trace potential cases despite reports that certain foreign travelers who had transited in the country had later tested positive for the virus. The first two confirmed COVID-19 patients, who are a mother and daughter, were discovered after bot...