Early in the month of March as the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia began to rise, citizens of Jakarta were advised by the Provincial Government to practice social distancing to reduce the chances of spreading the novel coronavirus. All activities were encouraged to be done from home if possible, this included working, studying, as well as religious rituals. Many businesses and offices allowed their employees to work remotely, while schools and universities held online classes. Public spaces were closed, and public facilities were optimized so that they can be used while still maintaining a safe distance between people.
Reporting Crowd Help Flattening The Curve
On 7 April 2020, Governor Anies Baswedan announced Jakarta as the first province with the status of Large-scale Social Restrictions (PSBB). This PSBB entered into force on 10 April 2020 and was extended to 7 May 2020 and is likely to be extended until 21 May 2020 if Jakarta is still the epicenter of COVID-19. During this restriction, the police, as well as the National Armed Forces (TNI), will be patrolling around the capital on the lookout for groups of more than five people. Crowds will be dispersed and encouraged to return to their homes.
[Important points during PSBB]
Furthermore, Governor Anies urges the citizens to assist in this process by reporting any crowds or public gathering of over five people through Cepat Respon Masyarakat reporting channels, namely:
While normally citizens are also able to report directly by visiting the nearest sub-district or village offices as well as city hall, it is advised to report through the aforementioned online means at this time.
All citizens reports will be sorted into the Cepat Respon Masyarakat system which will be sent to the nearest village office from the location of the report, and in turn, be tasked to the police or armed forces to take care of. It would help to detail the precise location of where you spotted the crowd as well as provide a picture for proof, so the authorities would locate the problem more easily. Some of the previously listed citizens report channels, such as the JAKI application, have an integrated geotagging feature that uses your phone’s GPS to track the location of your report. Through the JAKI app, several reported social gatherings can already be seen, many of which have also been handled by the authorities.
Let us always keep one another in check as well as promote the wellbeing and safety of all citizens amidst this trying time. Remember to report any crowds or gatherings you see around your home for everyone’s health.
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