Asip Hasani, Surabaya – The COVID-19 task forces in Surabaya, East Java and its satellite regencies Sidoarjo and Gresik are set to impose a curfew during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) as part of efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the three regions, which will be effective for 14 days from Tuesday until May 11.
East Java police chief Insp. Gen. Luki Hermawan said the curfew and other restrictions would be enforced with several exceptions to make sure the PSBB did not hamper people's economic activities.
"Economic activities are not prohibited. There are at least two traditional markets in Surabaya that open at night, for instance. We will let them open [despite the curfew]," Luki told reporters on Tuesday morning.
Prior to the implementation of the PSBB, more than 80 checkpoints to monitor people's movements have been established in the three regions – 13 in Surabaya, 24 in Sidoarjo and 45 in Gresik.
Luki said checkpoints were not set up to stop people from going to work.
"We will not make the people's economic activities stop running. Shops, hypermarkets and traditional markets will stay open. We just want people to adhere to physical distancing rules," he said.
He said that a 4,300-strong joint team of police, military and public order agency (Satpol PP) personnel would be deployed to ensure people's adherence to the PSBB order.
"But we will give more verbal reminders to violators especially in the first three days of PSBB implementation," he said.
Similar to the restrictions imposed in Jakarta, the three regions are limiting vehicles to use only 50 percent of their seats. Motorcycles are not allowed to take passengers.
Surabaya is the hardest-hit region in East Java with 372 confirmed cases and 51 fatalities as of Monday. The inclusion of Sidoarjo and Gresik in the implementation of the PSBB is partly due to Surabaya's interconnection with the two satellite regions.
Sidoarjo is the second-hardest-hit region with 81 confirmed cases and 11 fatalities, while Gresik has 22 confirmed cases and four fatalities.
According to the official government count, East Java has 857 cases with 90 fatalities as of Tuesday.