Ivany Atina Arbi, Jakarta – The Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that it would allow 10 regions considered COVID-19 red zones to impose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to widely limit people's movement during the outbreak.
The regions include capital Jakarta, which recorded 2,335 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, and its neighboring Bogor regency, Bogor city, Depok city, Bekasi regency, Bekasi city, Tangerang regency, Tangerang city and South Tangerang city.
Pekanbaru in Riau is the only city outside Java to gain approval to enact PSBB so far.
The city is considered to be "an epicenter of COVID-19 in Sumatra, which can potentially be a source for the disease in Riau and its neighboring provinces", the Health Ministry's disease control and prevention director general, Achmad Yurianto, said.
Jakarta was the first region in the country to implement PSBB starting last Friday to slow down the COVID-19 spread, while Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi are set to enact the restrictions on Wednesday.
According to the official government count, there are 4,839 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 459 deaths.