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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It is hard to believe that five years have passed since the Covid-19 pandemic first spread across the globe. The virus was detected in Indonesia for the first time in March 2020, and the government launched various efforts to curb its transmission, which spread rapidly across the country.
However, many Indonesians at the time were frustrated with the government’s response, accusing it of being inadequate and lacking urgency.
Jokowi Rejected Lockdown
Jokowi refused to impose a lockdown even as Indonesia’s Covid-19 situation worsened. He claimed that the government was taking swift action to balance pandemic response efforts with economic recovery without relying on a lockdown policy. According to him, a lockdown was not the right solution to tackle the crisis.
"There is no need to lock down a province, a city, or a regency because it would sacrifice people’s livelihoods. Nevertheless, we remain serious about handling the outbreak," Jokowi said on Saturday, October 3, 2020.
Jokowi argued that the government could not afford to sacrifice the economy, as a lockdown would disrupt the lives of millions of Indonesians. However, despite his insistence that the government prioritized public health, its efforts failed to contain the rapid spread of Covid-19 at the time.
"The government's strategy from the start has been to find a balance. But prioritizing public health does not mean we have to sacrifice the economy, especially when it concerns the livelihoods of many," he said at the time.
Jokowi’s stance drew criticism from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios). Bhima Yudhistira, director of Celios, argued that a lockdown could have curbed the rise in Covid-19 cases while also enabling stronger economic recovery.
"So why not impose a lockdown? The cost is lower compared to the economic losses. Once a lockdown succeeds, the economy can grow more solidly. We are in an emergency, yet the policies are half-hearted," Bhima told Tempo on June 24, 2021, believing the government still had the capacity to enforce a lockdown.
Jokowi’s Ministers Fail to Contain Covid-19
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan faced heavy criticism for his pandemic mitigation policies. As coordinator of the Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM), Luhut made contradictory statements about the government’s Covid-19 response.
At one point, Luhut claimed that the situation was under control during the implementation of the Java-Bali emergency PPKM, which had been in effect for ten days
"If anyone says the situation is out of control, that is completely the opposite. Those who say it is uncontrolled can come to me, and I’ll show them to their faces that we have it under control," Luhut said in an online press conference on Monday, July 12, 2021.
However, just three days later, he issued a stark warning about the highly transmissible Delta variant, admitting that it was difficult to contain.
"I ask for everyone’s understanding that the Delta variant is something we cannot control," he said on Thursday, July 15, 2021, contradicting himself.
A similar situation occurred with Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto, who stirred controversies with his approach to Covid-19. One of his most criticized statements was his early claim that Covid-19 could heal on its own.
"Theoretically, Covid-19 is a self-limiting disease that will cure itself," Terawan said at Persahabatan General Hospital in East Jakarta on March 12, 2020. His statement was widely condemned as reckless and as an indication that the government was not taking the pandemic seriously.
Dewi Nurita, Francisca Christy Rosana, Artika Rachmi Farmita, and Haris Setyawan contributed to this article.
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