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PSBB to last two weeks ‘but don’t expect pandemic to be over', Anies says
Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) will be back in place on Monday and presumably be lifted on Sept. 28.
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Morbid reminder: A woman walks by a fake coffin near Jl. Setiabudi in South Jakarta on Sept. 7. The display is part of the district’s campaign to promote compliance with COVID-19 health protocols. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan )
T
he reinstated partial lockdown in the capital will last the usual two weeks, said Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, though further efforts to contain the pandemic are expected to take more time.
Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) will be back in place on Monday and presumably be lifted on Sept. 28.
“But I have to emphasize: Don’t expect the pandemic to be over in just two weeks. It won’t. If this high rate [of COVID-19’s transmission] is not slowing down, [the PSBB] will continue,” the governor said on Friday.
After easing restrictions in mid-June, Anies announced on Wednesday that the city would reimpose PSBB measures after Jakarta saw a continuous spike in COVID-19 cases in the past several weeks, calling the situation “worrying”.
Read also: Long road to full economic recovery as Jakarta PSBB returns
According to the city administration, Jakarta’s COVID-19 cases jumped from 7,980 to 11,810 in the first 10 days of September alone. Meanwhile, the isolation bed occupancy rate has reached 77 percent.
Health authorities have also confirmed 2,717 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Jakarta as of Friday.
“It is important for us to stay at home for the next two weeks. By staying at home, we can hopefully reduce transmission,” said Anies, urging businesses to limit their activities in office spaces.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo responded to the announcement by saying that a partial lockdown should be “well and cautiously calculated.” The capital’s satellite cities are undecided about whether they should follow Jakarta in reimposing stricter COVID-19 restrictions.
Health and transportation experts said another PSBB period in Jakarta would be pointless if restrictions were not implemented in surrounding areas, given that mobility across regions remains high.
