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More than 9,000 people, businesses sanctioned for violating Jakarta's COVID-19 curbing policies
The Jakarta Public Order Agency had identified 9,580 violators as of Monday.
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A man wears a mandatory orange vest while picking up trash in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta for violating large-scale social restrictions on May 13. (Antara/Sugiharto Purnama)
J
akarta has cracked down on thousands of individuals and companies for violating the capital's large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), imposing sanctions that range from letters of reprimand to fines, in accordance with the latest gubernatorial regulation.
The Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) had identified 9,580 violators as of Monday, the agency's head Arifin said.
He said the number of violators had been compiled since April 24, during the second phase of the PSBB, which has been in place to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
The capital started implementing mobility restrictions on April 10 and it was initially scheduled to end on April 23. However, the administration had since extended the PSBB twice.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issued Gubernatorial Regulation No. 41/2020 on sanctions for PSBB last week, granting authority to Satpol PP, along with the Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration and Energy Agency and the Jakarta Transportation Agency, to impose sanctions on violators.
“We have monitored both essential and non-essential sectors. The number [of violators] has reached 6,091 individuals, 3,441 businesses, 31 offices and 17 factories,” Arifin told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Read also: COVID-19: Jakarta extends PSBB until June 4 as Jokowi seeks to ease restrictions
The agency has imposed sanctions in the form of letters of reprimand to 8,091 individuals and businesses, community service for 983 individuals, forced closure on 441 businesses and fines for 110 individuals and businesses, with some violators receiving more than one sanction.
Arifin said the businesses found in violation included dozens of restaurants providing dine-in services and hotels holding mass gatherings. They have been fined and forced to close in accordance with articles 7 and 8 of the gubernatorial regulation, respectively.
“We repeat that activities in hotels’ lounge areas, gyms, swimming pools and restaurants are not permitted. All facilities, except guest rooms, are restricted. If someone wants to eat, food should be delivered to their rooms,” Arifin said.
Meanwhile, individuals who violated the PSBB included those who failed to comply with the mandatory face mask order in public places and ban on public gatherings of more than five people, as stipulated in articles 4 and 11 of the regulation.
People who were sanctioned with community service were assigned to carry out public sanitation duty while wearing mandatory orange vests emblazoned with “PSBB violator” on the back.
“We no longer impose physical sanctions, such as push-ups, since the gubernatorial regulation was issued. Such punishments do not seem right since not all of [the violators] are physically capable,” Arifin said.
Read also: McDonald's Sarinah fined Rp 10 million for attracting crowds during COVID-19 restrictions
He said that the number of violators in the second phase of the PSBB had increased sharply since the first period, saying that Satpol PP had recently strengthened its monitoring in crowded places.
“We have applied disciplinary measures in traditional markets since Monday,” he said “We have deployed our members to Tanah Abang [Market in Central Jakarta] to shut down non-essential businesses, specifically street vendors.”
