You have to be more aware and anticipative of the pandemic.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian has encouraged local governments to keep up their hard work and take anticipatory steps to contain the pandemic, according to a statement received here on Friday.

The minister offered the encouragement during a visit to Kendal District, Central Java Province, for a coordination meeting with Kendal District Head Dico M Ganinduto, and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo at the Kendal District Hall.

The Home Ministry’s director general of regional autonomy, Akmal M Piliang, director general of politics and general administration, Bahtiar, director general of regional finance, Mochamad Ardian Noervianto, as well as chief of the Information Center (Kapuspen), Benni Irwan, also attended the meeting.

"We come here to motivate you (local governments) as our colleagues in handling the COVID-19 Delta variant. You have to be more aware and anticipative of the pandemic," the minister said.

In the past two weeks, Karnavian has visited several regions across Java – including Bekasi District, Depok City, Indramayu District, and Cirebon District in West Java.

In Banten, he held meetings with the head of Tangerang District, Tangerang City, as well as South Tangerang City. He also encouraged them to remain united and devoted in fighting the coronavirus.

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Karnavian said he chose to visit Brebes and Kendal Districts in Central Java since both are industrial areas.

"We hope the areas will not be new COVID-19 industrial clusters," he remarked.

Noting there has been a decline in the COVID-19 infection rate in Kendal District after the enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM), the minister reminded the local government to keep working hard as only 26.8 percent of health workers’ incentives had been disbursed.

He urged the Kendal district government to hold a meeting with the regional Health Office regarding the distribution of incentives, saying health workers are at the front lines of handling the pandemic.

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Translator: Boyke Watra, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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