A woman is seen wearing mask on a street in Jakarta to prevent COVID-19 transmission. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Jakarta will intensify measures torestrict people’s movements after being granted permission by the Indonesiangovernment to implement large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to slow thespread of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The city had already implemented large-scale socialdistancing policies but they had now become legally binding to all residents, JakartaGovernor Anies Baswedan told an online press conference on April 7 evening.
Starting on April 10, gatherings of more than five peoplewill be prohibited, Anies said, and public transportation services will limitpassenger numbers to 50 percent of capacity and restrict their operationalhours from 6 am to 6 pm.
Private vehicles could still enter Jakarta, but a limit willbe imposed on the number of passengers allowed in each vehicle, the governoradded.
The Jakarta administration and the central government will providefinancial aid for low-income people affected by the PSBB policies, he noted.
The same day, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati saidthe Indonesian government will distribute cash aid for 3.7 million people inJakarta and 1.64 million people the capital's satellite cities, such as Bogor,Depok and Bekasi in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten. Each beneficiarywill receive 600,000 IDR (37.11 USD) that is supposed to be sufficient forthree months.
Jakarta has been the country’s hardest-hit by the COVID-19which has reported 1,552 confirmed cases, including 144 deaths, as of April 8morning.
In Thailand, 111 new infections and three deaths have beenrecorded on April 8, pushing the total cases in the country to 2,369 with 30deaths. It has raised concerns that the numbers were going back up to 3 digitsagain after Thailand recorded a drop to only 38 new infections on April 7, thelowest in weeks.
On March 26, Thailand invoked the emergency decree with theaim of limiting people's movements and forcing them to stay at home in a bid tostop the spread of the virus.
More than 620 people nationwide have been prosecuted for defyingthe decree, according to Prayuth Phetchakhun, deputy spokesman of the Office ofthe Attorney General (OAG).
Violators are liable to a jail term of up to two yearsand/or a fine of up to 40,000 THB./.
