Member of DPR from PKS party, Kurniasih Mufidayati, said that Jokowi should also consider lockdown. (Image via Indozone)

PKS: Jokowi should take serious action about travel ban

A member of the 9th Commission of the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) from Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Kurniasih Mufidayati, urged the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to seriously close all accesses infected heavily by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) such as China, Iran, Italy, and S. Korea.

Kurniasih criticized the insufficient action by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that still allows the tourists from such countries to visit Indonesia as long as they get their health certificate. Speaking on Tuesday, Kurniasih said that the step is integral for the sake of the 270 million Indonesian people. Therefore, the government needs to close all airports and seaports accesses to and from those four countries.

Furthermore, she said that only the Indonesian nationals from those countries are allowed to enter. That is, they need to get themselves checked first. Kurniasih assured that the access closure will minimize the number of imported cases; hence, the government can start focusing tracing the local transmission.

Kurniasih said that the government should consider announcing lockdown if the situation is out of control. However, the government needs to ensure the welfare of the people before announcing lockdown, so that people will not be shocked.

On Monday, Indonesia announced 134 positive cases of COVID-19. From the number, five of them passed away, while eight recovered from the virus.

However, regarding lockdown, Jokowi does not think that it is necessary yet.

Several ministers have taken actions to battle the COVID-19. For example, the Minister of Legal and Human Rights, Yasonna Laoly, had issued temporal visa restriction for foreigners or Indonesian nationals with 14-day prior traveling records to China.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi also blocked the accesses from several towns from the four infected countries. They are allowed to enter Indonesia, as long as they possess a health certificate.

Source: https://bit.ly/2Wl11aE