Indonesia: Large-scale social restrictions imposed for Jakarta to curb COVID-19

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 to restrict people’s movements after being granted permission by the Indonesian government to implement large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to slow the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The city had already implemented large-scale social distancing policies but they had now become legally binding to all residents, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told an online press conference on April 7 evening.

Starting on April 10, gatherings of more than five people will be prohibited, Anies said, and public transportation services will limit passenger numbers to 50 percent of capacity and restrict their operational hours from 6 am to 6 pm.

Private vehicles could still enter Jakarta, but a limit will be imposed on the number of passengers allowed in each vehicle, the governor added.

The Jakarta administration and the central government will provide financial aid for low-income people affected by the PSBB policies, he noted.

The same day, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the Indonesian government will distribute cash aid for 3.7 million people in Jakarta and 1.64 million people the capital's satellite cities, such as Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten. Each beneficiary will receive 600,000 IDR (37.11 USD) that is supposed to be sufficient for three months.

Jakarta has been the country’s hardest-hit by the COVID-19 which has reported 1,552 confirmed cases, including 144 deaths, as of April 8 morning.

In Thailand, 111 new infections and three deaths have been recorded on April 8, pushing the total cases in the country to 2,369 with 30 deaths. It has raised concerns that the numbers were going back up to 3 digits again after Thailand recorded a drop to only 38 new infections on April 7, the lowest in weeks.

On March 26, Thailand invoked the emergency decree with the aim of limiting people's movements and forcing them to stay at home in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

More than 620 people nationwide have been prosecuted for defying the decree, according to Prayuth Phetchakhun, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

Violators are liable to a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 THB./.