Cash assistance of Rp600 thousand will be given to each family for three months -- from April to June, 2020 -- to help alleviate their economic burden.
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Riau provincial government will provide Rp600 thousand in social assistance to each of around 250 thousand families affected by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, in the province.

"Cash assistance of Rp600 thousand will be given to each family for three months -- from April to June, 2020 -- to help alleviate their economic burden," chief of the Riau Provincial Social Service Office, Dahrius Husin, said here on Thursday.

Both the district and municipal governments have been allowed to propose families entitled to social assistance, based on integrated data, including names, addresses, and citizenship identity numbers (NIK), he informed.

He then asked district and municipal governments to submit their data to the Social Service Ministry so that the aid can be disbursed soon.

"If they have submitted the data to the Social Service Ministry, the provincial government will soon approve it, since the cash assistance will be paid starting April," he said.

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Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has approved the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the Riau provincial capital of Pekanbaru in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.

A Health Ministry team conducted an epidemiology study and evaluated the city's preparedness, in terms of social, economic, and other aspects, before approving the restrictions.

On the basis of the study, the ministry concluded there was a considerable spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Pekanbaru, and hence, the city needed to impose PSBB to expedite the handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

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Translator: Frislidia/Suharto
Editor: Mulyo Sunyoto
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