Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – Large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta's satellite cities and regencies of Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java will be extended for two weeks to further flatten the region's COVID-19 infection curve.
"We have decided that the PSBB in [the areas] will be extended by 14 days starting Wednesday," West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said in statement on Monday.
Bogor municipality and regency, Depok as well as Bekasi municipality and regency have imposed partial lockdowns since April 15, following in the footsteps of the capital city, the hardest-hit by COVID-19 in the country.
Ridwan claimed that the infection rate in the areas, especially in Bogor and Depok, had decreased by 38.5 percent since the restrictions were first imposed.
However, he said Bekasi had continued to record more COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, prompting the administration to further extend the restrictions.
"The PSBB has managed to stem the spread of COVID-19," Ridwan said.
He went on to say that the West Java administration would also evaluate the results of the PSBB enforced in the provincial capital of Bandung and its surrounding areas of Cimahi city, Sumedang regency, Bandung regency and West Bandung regency.
The administration will decide whether to extend the restrictions in the areas, together known as Greater Bandung, by next week, he added.
Jakarta and West Java have recorded the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections in Indonesia, with 3,869 cases and 951 cases, respectively, out of the official country's tally of 9,096 cases as of Monday.
The fatalities recorded in the two provinces combined also make up more than half of the official nationwide death toll of 765, with Jakarta reporting 367 deaths and West Java reporting 78 deaths from the disease.
As of Monday, there were over 39,043 people under surveillance (ODP) and 4,373 patients under treatment (PDP) suspected of having been infected by COVID-19.
ODP and PDP are official designations Indonesia is using to differentiate people according to the symptoms they present and their travel history.
The West Java administration has carried out more than 100,000 rapid COVID-19 tests in the region so far, in which 2,000 cases turned out to be positive.
"We'll follow up on the results using PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests," Ridwan said.