Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of the Task Force for COVID-19 Handling Doni Monardo confirmed that 102 districts and cities were readied to begin safe productive activities amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Based on the report we received, regional leaders in 102 districts and cities have responded positively to the policy," Monardo noted in a statement here on Friday.

The task force chief revealed that the program will solely be conducted in regions on the COVID-19 green zone list where no COVID-19 cases were reported.

The local administrations will be authorized to conduct pre-conditioning and build communication with all stakeholders before commencing productive activities while staying safe from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"The rate of (COVID-19 transmission) in some regions has declined, although some other regions have yet to show significant improvement," he noted.

Monardo suggested that prior to commencing public activities, the authorities should take into account some issues, including the timing, sectors that must be prioritized, strong coordination between central and local governments, monitoring, and evaluation.

As of Thursday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen by 585 to reach a total of 28,818, with the number of recoveries climbing by 486 to 8,892.

South Kalimantan, Jakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, and North Sumatra registered the highest increase.

A total of 19 provinces reported less than 10 new cases, while 11 provinces recorded no new cases.

President Jokowi had recently called on the public at large to remain productive and safe while concurrently adapting to coexistence with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The head of state highlighted the World Health Organization's information that the coronavirus may never go away, though the transmission curve could have been flattened.
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Translator: Dewanto Samodro, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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