A number of residents have been seen exercising in the HI Roundabout area, Central Jakarta, on the morning of Sunday 31st May. Residents were mostly cycling and running and were seen to be wearing masks.
Presently, Car Free Day (CFD) activities at that location are not permitted due to the implementation of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to suppress transmission of coronavirus.
Ifan, 40, a resident of Senen, Central Jakarta, said he chose to continue cycling in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic because it was a habit. He routinely rides every weekend. “I cycle from Monas to Gatot Subroto road, then to the Sudirman Statue, and then return to HI again,” he said on Sunday morning.
Ifan confirmed that while exercising he continued to implement health protocols such as using a mask and carrying hand sanitiser. He didn’t mind the number of vehicles passing through the area because CFD has not been re-enacted at the moment.
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24-year-old Risma Afifah, another visitor to the area, said she only ran on the sidewalks. According to her, during the COVID-19 pandemic, moderate exercise such as running could still be done whilst wearing a mask and avoiding crowds. “Just keep running, take care of your health. The important thing is not to be careless, like not going towards crowd and wearing a mask,” she said.
Risma observed that the condition of Jalan Sudirman and the HI Roundabout area on Sunday morning was quite crowded but not as busy as CFD before the COVID-19 pandemic.
PSBB in the DKI Jakarta area is still in place until 4th June 2020. It’s not yet known whether the measures will be extended or will end and move on to the adoption of a new normal. If the spread of COVID-19 is considered controlled, DKI Jakarta will most likely end PSBB and move on to a new paradigm to prevent further outbreaks of coronavirus.
DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan previously said that the decision regarding PSBB would be submitted early next week after conducting an evaluation and a study involving experts.
Source: Kompas
Image: Media Indonesia