Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that the COVID-19 pandemic plaguing Indonesia since March 2020 had prompted everyone to work together.

"And I see that if we are under pressure of an issue, we all will work (together). Well, how do we maintain that state consistently, ceaselessly?" he stated here on Monday.

The head of state delivered the remark during the event of the "COVID-19 Handling Award." The award was bestowed on entities, both government and private, domestic or foreign, who are considered to have contributed to bringing the pandemic under control.

"This is what we need," the president affirmed.

Jokowi highlighted that everyone worked together in every aspect imaginable in handling the COVID-19 situation.

The extent of collaboration pursued in handling COVID-19 must be emulated in the future, he emphasized.

"Post pandemic governance. I expect that the great power during COVID-19 handling can truly be sustained in addressing other issues," he noted.

The president pointed out that numerous people lost their lives during the fight against the pandemic.

"Many of our medical personnel died in COVID-19 handling. Many work beyond their scope of duty and (responsibility)," he pointed out.

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The president opined that several lessons stood to be learnt from the entire experience.

Hence, Jokowi called on everyone to work together in an integrated manner. The collaborative movement must also be adopted in handling other types of issues, such as TBC, stunting, food stocks, and poverty eradication.

"If we work just like how we handle COVID-19, truthfully, big issues like these can be resolved immediately, provided we work just like how we address COVID-19," he stressed.

Jokowi also spoke about having learnt several aspects about the lockdown from the myriad inputs, suggestions, and critiques he received.

He believed that Indonesia has successfully surmounted the COVID-19 pandemic despite the grim situation and the overall difficulty of it.

"What is for sure is that compared to the global average, we are considered successful in addressing COVID-19," he affirmed.

Jokowi then noted that the World Health Organization and John Hopkins University had named Indonesia as one of the best in handling COVID-19.

"This success is owing to the hard work of everyone in the nation," he concluded.

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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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