Home Minister Tito Karnavian issued a decree on Wednesday instructing regional leaders to enforce health protocols as a follow up to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's statement on pandemic mitigation on Monday.

“In relation to the series of mass gatherings that have taken place recently in several regions and the apparent shortcomings in handling such events, I've issued a Home Ministerial Decree on health protocol enforcement,” Tito said during a meeting of House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs on Wednesday.

He urged regional leaders to be consistent in their enforcement of health protocols. The minister stressed that it was even more crucial for regional administrations to take preemptive measures by preventing public events that could attract large crowds.

“I want regional leaders to set an example of compliance by not joining mass gatherings that could potentially violate health protocols, for instance,” Tito said.

Citing the newly-issued instruction, Tito warned that governors, mayors and regents found to have been lenient on breaches of COVID-19 protocols would face tough sanctions, including potential dismissal from office.

Failures to adhere to the decree would be regarded as violations of Law No. 23/2014 on regional autonomy, he said, which stipulates that regional leaders can be removed from their positions if they fail to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the law.

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