The area will remain open from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time, it said.
"It has begun to open for exercise on Saturdays and Sundays," head of the Kota Tua area management unit Dedy Tarmizi said in Jakarta on Friday.
For the first time, the Kota Tua management has reopened the area temporarily, specifically for residents who want to exercise, after closing it during the implementation of community activity restrictions, he noted.
The management team will only allow residents to perform exercises in the Kota Tua area, he said.
As for reopening the area for tourism activities, a further policy from the government is awaited, he added.
"Sports will be limited to the special Plaza on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to 10 a.m. (local time)," Tarmizi said.
However, he said he could not confirm the timeline for the reopening of the museum's tourist attractions. Currently, the locations that are operational in the Kota Tua area are hotels, restaurants, and cafes, he noted.
"We can't open the museum yet," he said.
Tarmizi emphasized that all people who want to exercise in the Kota Tua area must follow strict health protocols and avoid gathering in a crowd.
He also urged residents with health complaints to refrain from visiting Kota Tua.
"What is certain is that the health protocols must be strictly followed, and distance must be kept," Tarmizi added.
Information about the opening of Kota Tua was circulated on social media based on a post from the Instagram handle @info.jakartabarat. The post was accompanied with a photo captioned "Kota Tua Tours are Temporarily Opened Only for Residents Who Exercise".
The post said that several tourist sites in Kota Tua such as the Bank Mandiri museum, Bank Indonesia, and the Jakarta History Museum (Fatahilah) have not been opened.
Starting last Thursday night, the West Jakarta Taman Sari Metro Police have also enforced a crowd-free night rule in the Kota Tua area to prevent crowds from gathering.
Head of the Taman Sari Metro Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Iverson Manossoh, said the crowd-free night rule will be enforced from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
