As confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in the island country, Indonesia's government is drafting regulations on the procedures and requirements for imposing regional quarantines. On Friday, Security Minister Mahfud MD told the media that “the regulation will stipulate matters such as at what time certain regions can impose restrictions of movement, or what is usually known as a lockdown, as well as the requirements, the boundaries, and the procedures”.
While he revealed very little information about the minutiae of the regulation, he suggested that it will allow for the continued distribution of supplies during the quarantine period. Additionally, minimarkets or grocery stores may remain operational to provide basic needs for the public, albeit under heavy government supervision. According to the government, the proposed regulations are mandated by Article 10 of the 2018 Health Quarantine Law, which stipulates that the central government can impose lockdowns during public health emergencies.
As the virus spreads from the cities with the most severe outbreaks, calls have been mounting for President Joko Widodo to lock down virus-plagued areas. In fact, several medical professors from the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine argue that the government's social distancing measures are not effective or sufficient, and called for a national lockdown instead.
Indonesia had recorded 1,046 coronavirus cases and 87 fatalities as of Friday, making the country's mortality rate among the highest in the world at 8.3%.
Image Source: The Jakarta Post
As COVID-19 Cases Soar, Indonesia Drafts Lockdown Regulation
March 28, 2020
