Indonesian Medical Association Warns of New clusters of the novel coronavirus disease

I am worried that the number of patients is (likely to) get higher in future.Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) has warned that widespread rallies against the job creation law could give rise to new clusters of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

“I am worried that the number of patients is (likely to) get higher in future,” chief of the IDI’s COVID-19 task force, Prof. Zubairi Djoerban, said here on Thursday.

He said the government should have taken precautionary measures to prevent fresh clusters of COVID-19 from emerging.

He recalled the police killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, in the US, which had led to widespread demonstrations in that country even as COVID-19 transmission continued.

The public no longer cared about the COVID-19 pandemic because Floyd’s death had incited their emotions, he said.

IDI is worried about a similar situation developing in Indonesia as protestors rally against the job creation law, he added.

Spokesperson for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Senior Commissioner Yusri Yunus, also warned on Thursday that mass rallies against the job creation law would increase the risk of coronavirus transmission.

According to Yunus, 27 protesters were found reactive to COVID-19 in a rapid test in West Jakarta, while three others had tested positive. They were quarantined in a shelter in Pademangan, North Jakarta.

The House of Representatives (DPR) and the Indonesian government on Monday passed the controversial omnibus bill into law amid mounting criticism over its provisions on labor rights, indigenous community rights, and environmental protection.