Jokowi refuses to impose Jakarta lockdown

JAKARTA: While once again dismissing the option of imposing a lockdown on the capital, the government said on Monday that it would instead impose stricter regulations on social distancing coupled with “civil emergency measures”, a move that critics warn could exacerbate the coronavirus crisis. After a virtual Cabinet meeting on Monday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo instructed his Cabinet to prepare regulations on mass social distancing based on Law No. 6/2018 on Health Quarantine that restricts movement in particular regions.

“I ask that large-scale social restrictions and physical distancing policies be enforced more strictly and more effectively, which is why I said they should be coupled with civil-emergency policies,” Jokowi said in a teleconferenced meeting from Bogor Palace, West Java.

The President also instructed his aides to craft a clear regulation to act as guidance for regional administrations to implement the large-scale social distancing, although he added that the final decision on quarantine measures rested with the central government.

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“The policy [to announce] health quarantine, including territorial quarantines, is within the authority of the central government, not regional administrations. I hope that all ministers ensure that the central and regional governments have the same vision and policy,” he said.

The Jokowi administration has been under pressure to impose a lockdown on the capital, which has become the region worst-hit by the Covid-19 outbreak. Indonesia recorded 1,414 cases with 122 deaths as of Monday. Jakarta accounted for 698 cases and 74 deaths. Provincial and city administrations, as well as communities, have begun to take initiatives to close their borders to prevent the spread of the outbreak to their regions. But with Jokowi’s decision, these measures cannot be described as a “lockdown” or “quarantine”, because only the central government has the power impose such measures. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said he had formally proposed imposing a territorial quarantine on the capital, prohibiting all activities in the city except for those related to energy, food, health, communications and finance. However, he abided by the central government’s decision not to do so. “For two weeks, Jakarta has closed schools, workplaces and places of worship and other public centers, but we have limited authority to enforce this. That is why we hoped there would be legal restrictions,” he said.

The President has resisted the idea of imposing a national lockdown, saying it would be unsuitable for Indonesian society and has instead called on the public to practice social distancing as a preventive measure to contain the outbreak.

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A draft government regulation on health quarantine, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, however, does not stipulate sanctions for those failing to abide by the social-restrictions order.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Doni Monardo said the government would base its regulations on the battle against Covid-19 on three laws: Law No. 24/2007 on Disaster Response, the Health Quarantine Law and Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No.23/1959 on civil emergency (Perppu 23/1959).

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