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Less panic buying: Residents calmly brace for Indonesia’s latest COVID-19 restrictions
Some residents of Jakarta and Bandung, West Java have opted not to panic buy basic necessities ahead of the first day of the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) on Saturday.
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A customer browses for groceries in a supermarket in Jakarta on July 2, 2021. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
W
hile some braced for Indonesia’s latest COVID-19 restrictions by swarming supermarkets to panic buy basic necessities, some residents of major cities across Java opted to take a calmer approach.
The latest version of Indonesia’s COVID-19 restrictions, dubbed the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat), are effective from Saturday to July 20. The policy is imposed across Java and Bali, the country’s two most populous islands.
Under the restrictions, all malls and shopping centers will be closed. Meanwhile, supermarkets, traditional markets and shops selling basic commodities are allowed to operate at 50 percent visitor capacity until 8 p.m.
Several major streets will also be closed in big cities in Java, such as Jl. Sudirman in Jakarta and Jl. Merdeka in Bandung, to limit the public's mobility in an effort to curb coronavirus transmission.
Read also: Police block streets on first day of tougher Java-Bali COVID-19 curbs
One day prior to the restrictions, local media reported that several supermarkets in Jakarta were crowded with customers buying goods and supplies in bulk.
Many Jakartans also shared their experience at a packed supermarket, with some customers fitting as much as possible in their shopping trolleys.
