In video footage of a Cabinet meeting on June 18, but only released on Sunday, the President lashed out at his ministers for the absence of a "sense of crisis" in their actions, resulting in no significant progress in their pandemic response.

At the very least, Jokowi's resentment channeled the public frustration at the ineffective policies during two months of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), following which the country is still enduring a surge in cases and deaths nationwide.

Jakarta and West Java may have controlled the spread of the virus, but East Java, South Sulawesi and East Kalimantan have become new epicenters of the outbreak.

Few provinces, cities or regencies wish to extend the PSBB, on the basis that people are losing income. But returning to the kind of life before the pandemic will only put people’s lives at risk.

We also demand what the President seeks: a significant improvement in the coronavirus response, especially in the protection of health workers and people's jobs.

The lingering question is why Jokowi only let the public learn of his anger after 10 days. The public, as well as experts, have criticized the way his ministers, especially Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto, have handled the biggest public health crisis of our time from the very beginning.

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