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Java, Bali brace for emergency lockdown
The government is on the cusp of announcing new and stricter lockdown measures amid soaring COVID-19 case numbers and some competition among sections of government.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo gives the opening speech at the national congress of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on Wednesday morning. In his remarks, Jokowi let slip ongoing plans to introduce hard lockdown measures across Java and Bali, which the government hopes to finalize by Thursday. (Sekretariat Presiden/Screenshot)
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ndonesia’s most populated and popular islands are bracing for emergency lockdown measures this week, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo touting the inevitability of shifting policy amid soaring COVID-19 cases.
The country recorded another record-breaking day with 21,807 new COVID-19 cases and 467 deaths, according to official figures published on Wednesday. The numbers are widely regarded as conservative estimates because of severely inadequate testing outside Jakarta.
The Health Ministry also reported alarming bed occupancy rates (BORs) in Jakarta, Banten and West Java – all of which have surpassed 90 percent – followed by Yogyakarta and Central Java at 89 and 87 percent, respectively.
Speaking at an industry event in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Jokowi revealed that new restrictions could be imposed on Java and Bali soon, singling out in particular the 44 regencies and cities and six provinces across Java that have a high risk of community transmission.
He refused, however, to disclose details of the new plan, including the timeline of the new restrictions, saying only that Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who also helms the national COVID-19 and economic recovery committee (KPC-PEN), is expected to make the final decision.
“Today [the government] will finalize our review [...] about imposing the PPKM Darurat [emergency restrictions], which we hope to conclude soon,” Jokowi said at the national congress of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Wednesday afternoon.
At the time of writing, there were two different proposal options for the emergency restriction measures.
