Indonesian President Joko Widodo (center) visited the MRT station on May 26 (Photo: Antara) Jakarta (VNA) - About 340,000 soldiers and police officers will be deployed across four provinces of Indonesia to ensure the country’s transition to the "new normal", Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on May 26.
During a visit to an MRT station in Jakarta, Widodo said security forces would help to ensure that residents abide by physical distancing rules.
He added that the basic reproduction number (R0) of COVID-19 had fallen below one in several provinces, indicating a decline in the transmission rate in those areas.
Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto Hadi said there were approximately 1,800 places that would be guarded by TNI and police personnel, including shopping malls, traditional markets, tourism spots and other places with high traffic.
According to the official government count, Indonesia had 23,165 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1,418 deaths as of May 26.
Meanwhile, Chairman of House Commission X overseeing education Syaiful Huda on May 26 said 143 children in the country died of COVID-19.
Indonesian Doctors Association data showed that 129 children have died with COVID-19 symptoms and 14 others who have died tested positive for the virus, he said.
The official called on the Indonesian government to be careful in planning for the reopening of schools as the virus transmission remained high, adding that forcing schools to reopen will endanger the students and teachers.
The number of infections in Indonesia is expected to increase significantly next week as many people have ignored physical distancing guidelines during the Idul Fitri holidays.
Indonesia’s national COVID-19 Task Force spokesman Achmad Yurianto said the large number of people violating the health protocol during the holidays will more than likely result in new confirmed cases next week.
Tri Wahyono, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, said human-to-human transmissions will spread rapidly in severely affected areas such as Greater Jakarta. The prediction that cases will peak in early June and reach a plateau in August is very likely to be missed, he said, noting that the epidemiologist said the final number of cases will surpass the projected 32,000./.
