Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration and Energy Agency head Andri Yansyah said the authorities had found several employees at five of the companies testing positive for the coronavirus disease. Meanwhile, the three other companies were shut for failure to implement strict health protocols.

“Of 64 companies inspected, eight were forced to temporarily shut down,” he said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Andri, however, did not elaborate on the number of employees testing positive for COVID-19. He only revealed that the three companies that had failed to implement health protocol were located in South Jakarta and East Jakarta.

The agency ordered the companies to stop operating for three days, as mandated by Gubernatorial Regulation No. 29/2020 on COVID-19 sanctions.

The provincial administration reimposed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) on Monday to contain the spread of COVID-19, as the number of cases kept surging across the capital. The restrictions will remain in place until Sept. 27 and may be extended beyond that.

During the PSBB, workplaces in 11 essential sectors – including health, food, energy, communications, finance, logistics and daily needs retail – are only allowed to operate at 50 percent of their usual capacity.

Meanwhile private companies outside these sectors, as well as government offices, must implement work-from-home policies and allow no more than 25 percent of their employees to work at the office at the same time.

Also on Monday, the National Police launched an operation in Jakarta to monitor and discipline the public on strict health protocols.

Dubbed Operasi Yustisi, the operation will be carried out in areas at high risk of becoming new COVID-19 clusters, said National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono.

“We will prioritize the sympathetic and persuasive approach. If we find anyone without a face mask in a public place, we will give them one,” Awi said on Monday.

He added that violators could also be sanctioned as mandated by Presidential Instruction No. 6/2020 on the implementation of COVID-19 health protocols and regional regulations.

The raids in Jakarta will involve personnel from the National Police, the Indonesian Military and the Jakarta Public Order Agency during the new, two-week PSBB period, which runs from Monday to Sept. 27.

 Jakarta Police traffic director Sr. Comr. Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said security personnel would focus on eight locations across the capital during the operation, including Tugu Tani and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, as well as Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta.

“We will directly sanction [violators],” Sambodo said as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that anyone found violating PSBB rules, such as not wearing a mask in public places, would be given a Rp 250,000 (US$16.83) fine or one hour’s community service. The sanction, however, could be multiplied if the individuals had a prior record of violating PSBB measures.

According to official figures, Jakarta – the country’s epicenter of the coronavirus disease – had confirmed 56,175 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, with 1,450 deaths.