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COVID-19: West Java to impose curfew to limit movement
The curfew is set to be in place across 27 cities and regencies in the country's most populous province to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.
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West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil examines the COVID-19 information system at the COVID-19 Information and Coordination Center in Bandung, West Java, on March 10. The center provides two hotlines for people who want to report cases or ask for health information. (JP/Arya Dipa)
T
he West Java administration is set to implement a curfew across 27 cities and regencies in the country's most populous province to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.
The implementation of the curfew aims to further limit the movement of people during the public health crisis, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said.
"The [West Java] Police chief has agreed to this plan as long as the [local administrations] coordinate with police units," Ridwan said in a written statement on Monday.
The governor had ordered local authorities in the province's cities and regencies to immediately plan the curfew, which he said was part of efforts to push residents to be more disciplined as West Java might soon submit a request to the central government to implement large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the region.
Ridwan said he had yet to submit the request as the provincial administration was awaiting comprehensive data and mapping on the coronavirus spread in its 27 cities and regencies, including the results of massive COVID-19 rapid testing administered in West Java.
“It will be difficult to support our PSBB request if we are not in possession of comprehensive data,” he said.
“I urge regional heads to check with their respective health agencies and report the [rapid test] results to the provincial administration as soon as possible. The faster we receive the data, the easier it will be to map the COVID-19 spread."
Read also: COVID-19: Health Ministry grants Jakarta’s request to impose large-scale social restrictions
Once submitted and approved, the PSBB implementation in West Java will particularly focus on areas that share borders with Jakarta -- the national epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak -- so that policies to curb the disease transmission can be synchronized, he said.
“We have to be on a similar wavelength with the Jakarta administration on this matter," he added
Authorities in West Java -- the second hardest-hit by coronavirus in the country after Jakarta -- recently distributed 61,000 rapid COVID-19 testing kits to 27 cities and regencies. At least 15,000 people in the region have taken the rapid test.
“So far, 677 individuals have tested positive for the disease [from the rapid test]," Ridwan said last week. "This is a huge number."
Out of the 677 individuals that tested positive for COVID-19 in the rapid tests, 310 of them were students at the Police Officer Candidate School in Sukabumi, while 266 of them attended a religious seminar held by Bethel Church of Indonesia in Lembang.
The rapid tests will be followed by swab tests using polymerase chain reaction kits for those that tested positive. As of Tuesday, the massive rapid testing sessions are still ongoing.
According to the official count, West Java has recorded 263 infections, with 29 fatalities as of Monday afternoon, while its neighboring province and capital Jakarta has recorded 1,232 cases and 99 deaths. (dpk)
