Jakarta Extends Transitory PSBB to December 6, 2020

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has extended transitory Large-Scale Social Distancing (PSBB) in Jakarta yet again and the partial lockdown it entails, as Covid-19 continues to affect the capital.

“[PSBB] will be renewed by 14 days from Monday, November 23 to December 6,” Anies said in a written statement on Sunday, November 22.

As before, the Jakarta Provincial Administration will carry out the emergency brake policy if we detect a significant surge in cases or an alarmingly high rate of transmission, particularly if they threaten to overwhelm health care systems.”

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Anies maintained that Jakarta managed to control and contain the Covid-19 pandemic, a premise not backed by the numbers.

The Jakarta Health Service has noted that the daily number of new cases regularly exceeded 1,000 people, peaking at 1,579 on November 21.

In contrast, just 716 cases were found on November 9, the beginning of the previous PSBB period. 8,444 were estimated to be active cases.

The previous PSBB was also marked by an estimated Covid-19 clusters stemming from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI’s) festivities for chief Rizieq Shihab’s homecoming from his three-year exile in Saudi Arabia.

They include his welcoming committee in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport, two rallies in Tebet, South Jakarta, and Megamendung, West Java, as well as a wedding reception for his daughter that drew 10,000 visitors.

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