The Bali provincial government reactivated the traditional village-based Gotong Royong (mutual cooperation) task force posts to support the control of virus transmission
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) supports strengthening control of COVID-19 transmission and economic recovery on the island of Bali.

"Apart from controlling the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, the support is also to push for enhancing economic recovery of the tourism sector in Bali that has been affected by the pandemic," Acting Head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Abdul Muhari noted in a written statement in Jakarta, Tuesday.

BNPB officials reviewed the public activity restrictions or PPKM posts that function to control COVID-19 transmission in Denpasar City and Badung District from Thursday, July 22, to Sunday, July 25, 2021.

The agency has ensured that efforts to enforce health protocols made by the Indonesian military units, police, public order officers, and pecalang, Bali's traditional police, are running well in the two areas.

The Bali provincial government reactivated the traditional village-based Gotong Royong (mutual cooperation) task force posts to support the control of virus transmission.

Bali also established a provincial-level COVID-19 Handling Task Force's command post at the Bali Provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Office.

"Moreover, task forces are formed at nine locations at the district/city level up to the villages/urban villages, including indigenous villages," Muhari stated.

In reducing public mobility during PPKM, Muhari explained that the Bali provincial government had closed roads, connecting one area to another, by setting up barrier posts.

The provincial government also deployed personnel to supervise compliance with the restrictions on the trade and shopping centers' operational time set until 20:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Standard Time).

The BNPB oversees end-to-end efforts to handle COVID-19, including monitoring the implementation of PPKM, checking self-isolation facilities and referral hospitals that handle COVID-19 patients, and inspecting vaccination events.

"The vaccination program continues to be bolstered, so that economic activities by arts and tourism businesses on the Island of the Gods can be restored soon," Muhari emphasized.

According to Government data, the cumulative count of people affected by COVID-19 in Bali Province until Monday, August 2, had reached 78,509. Some 12,911 people are still under care, 63,367 have recovered, and 2,231 people succumbed to the disease.

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Translator: Asep F, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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