Once again, I would like to deliver my command to the ranks of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and Economic Recovery, health minister, and the Indonesian Armed Forces as well as the Police, for matters pertaining to handling the COVID-19 pandemic
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asserted that currently, the government's efforts were primarily targeted at handling the public's health concerns owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic followed by emphasis on facilitating economic recovery.

"Once again, I would like to deliver my command to the ranks of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and Economic Recovery, health minister, and the Indonesian Armed Forces as well as the Police, for matters pertaining to handling the COVID-19 pandemic to really become our focus, after which the economy will follow," President Jokowi noted at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

"This means that our number one focus remains on health, specifically the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, since this is where the key lies," he noted while opening the Plenary Cabinet Session on Health Management and Economic Recovery for Strengthening Reforms in 2021.

During the session comprising attendees -- Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, the ranks of the ministers of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet, as well as leaders of the state institutions -- the president emphasized that if the public health condition improves, the economic conditions too would show an improvement.

Jokowi noted that handling public health was the key to recovery from the crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Once again, if the handling of COVID-19 is good and if the health sector is good, the economy will also improve," he stated.

The head of state pointed out that the acceleration of efforts to facilitate domestic economic recovery exceedingly relied on the results of implementing policies on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Let us not be bogged down by health matters in the event of improper handling of COVID-19 issues. We have started, restarted, in the economic sector. This is also very dangerous," he pointed out.

According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of Sunday, (Sept 6), the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had reached 194,109, with 138,575 patients recovering from the disease and 8,025 succumbing to the virus.
Related news: Lest local elections lead to new COVID-19 clusters: MPR Chairman

Related news: Indonesia COVID-19 new cases top 3,000 for four consecutive days

EDITED BY INE

Translator: Indra Arief P/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020