We, the Sorong City community, highly support the local government's lockdown policy to protect Sorong's residents from coronavirus.Sorong (ANTARA) - Tens of people held a demonstration outside the Sorong Mayor’s office in West Papua Province on Friday during which they demanded to temporarily close the local airport and seaport to contain the spread of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The demonstrators, who claimed to be members of the Greater Sorong Forum for Rescuing Humans from COVID-19, staged the rally with the objective of supporting the local government to impose a lockdown policy to protect local residents from the spread of coronavirus.
Septinus Kambu, the rally coordinator, stated that the rally was solely aimed at protecting Sorong’s residents from coronavirus.
He praised the Sorong mayor for his lockdown policy that managed to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients. The city has, so far, reported two confirmed coronavirus cases.
"We, the Sorong City community, highly support the local government's lockdown policy to protect Sorong’s residents from the coronavirus pandemic," he remarked.
The forum is concerned about the mobility of people fueling the spread of coronavirus in the city if the local airport and seaport are re-opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the number of medical workers in Sorong is limited, the local government would be overwhelmed by the rising number of coronavirus cases if the airport and seaport were to be reopened during this time, he added. Related news: Jakarta police operate 24-hour PSBB checkpoints to contain COVID-19
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Translator: Ernes Broning Kakisina/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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