Many violations, Jokowi to issue policy on sanctions against health protocols

Last updated on May 18th, 2021 at 05:59 am

The World Health Organization (WHO) has long called on the public to always implement the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic health protocol.

However, some of the people during the pandemic are still ignoring the health protocol against the Covid-19 transmission. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will immediately issue a presidential instruction regarding sanctions for people violating health protocols.

“I will soon pass the Inpres to governors so that there will be sanctions on violators of the protocols,” said the President in his speech during a closed meeting with governors at Bogor Palace, Wednesday, July 15, as quoted from the website of the Setkab. go.id.

He added that presently, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has started to impose such sanctions, and he appreciated it.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said that West Java itself will begin to impose sanctions on 27 July. The sanction was in the form of a fine of Rp 100,000 to Rp150,000 for residents who did not wear masks. For enforcing the rule, the provincial government will involve the municipal police (Satpol PP), police, and military.

Last week, spokesperson of the West Java Covid-19 task force Berli Hamdani informed that hundreds of students of Secapa in the provincial capital of Bandung had tested positive for the coronavirus disease during swab testing at the facility. He then declared the military academy as a new Covid-19 cluster in the province.

On the other hand, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said, Jokowi also asked other regional heads to impose fines for citizens who violate health protocols.

Khofifah also claimed to agree with the application of these sanctions. For the record, 70 percent of East Java residents still do not wear masks.

“The president gave direction to uphold discipline. Indeed, there should be a fine or administrative sanction so that there is a process of increasing discipline,” said Khofifah.

“Imposing sanctions is necessary. Otherwise, our people have no awareness of wearing face masks, maintaining a physical distancing order. And [the sanctions] are managed by governors based on the respective local wisdom of their regions. The Inpres will function as a legal basis for the release of a gubernatorial regulation, “Jokowi elaborated.