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'COVID-19 is real', govt says as public denial persists

Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post)

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Jakarta

Thu, September 24, 2020 Published on Sep. 23, 2020 Published on 2020-09-23T21:51:14+07:00

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Public campaign: Jakarta Public Order officials carry posters calling on residents to comply with the government-imposed health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic during rush hour in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Monday.

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recent survey by the Health Ministry has found that many citizens do not believe that COVID-19 exists and that many have challenged the call to adhere to health protocols, the national COVID-19 task force has said.

In response, the task force has formed so-called “behavioral change” units. They consist of members of the community, the military and local administrations and seek to raise public awareness about the dangers of COVID-19.

National COVID-19 task force head Doni Monardo said the initiative would be tested first in Jakarta, a hotbed of coronavirus contagion, before being brought to other regions.

At least five behavioral change units consisting of a total of 100 volunteers have been deployed in five subdistricts of the capital to inform people about the virus and reinforce the need to adhere to health protocols.

“If the initiative works, we will develop it in other regions as well,” Doni said during a meeting with the House of Representatives on Tuesday. COVID-19 is real and has claimed nearly 1 million of lives globally.”

Doni did not reveal the details of the Health Ministry survey he cited during the meeting.

Indonesia had recorded nearly 10,000 fatalities and 252,923 total cases as of Tuesday.