As a result, he said, schools in Bekasi, one of Jakarta's satellite cities, would reopen from July 13, 2020.
The decision to reopen schools is in keeping with the Education and Culture Ministry's instructions, Effendi said.
"We have met the required conditions (for reopening schools). If an unexpected eventuality happens, the Bekasi city administration has had preventive measures (charted out). So, why not?" he said.
Over the past 30 days, there has been no new death from the virus in Bekasi city, while the number of new cases has declined significantly, he informed.
Related news: Health Minister sets large-scale social distancing in W Java areas
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Jakarta provincial administration has issued a COVID-19 prevention policy that necessitates all film crew to undergo rapid tests two days prior to filming in the city limits.
"Production houses are obligated to ensure that their film crew take rapid tests two days before shooting activities begin," head of Jakarta's Tourism and Creative Economy Office, Cucu Ahmad Kurnia, stated earlier.
Film crew, including actors and actresses, are required to undergo swab tests at least five days prior to the start of filming, he added.
The mandatory policy has been adopted following the Jakarta provincial administration's decision to allow production houses to resume operations from July 6 to July 16, 2020, which marks the end of the enforcement of the transitional period of large-scale social restrictions.
As part of endeavors to contain the spread of coronavirus infections, the government has made it mandatory for production houses to abide by the healthcare protocols, Kurnia stated.
Coronavirus infections initially surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019.
Since then, COVID-19 has spread to over 215 countries and territories, including 34 provinces in Indonesia, with a huge spike in death toll.
Soon after the Indonesian government officially confirmed the country's first cases on March 2 this year, Jakarta had emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. The pandemic, which has triggered a global economic crisis, is being counted among the worst disasters in human history.
Related news: Indonesia's COVID-19 case count touches 64,958; recoveries at 29,919
Translator: Pradita KS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
