President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has responded to the reduction in COVID-19 statistics in Indonesia by loosening up rules and allowing people to take off their masks when outdoors.
“I need to say a few things, first the government has decided to relax the policy on the use of masks,” stated Jokowi in a YouTube broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat channel on 17th May 2022.
The president has relaxed the use of masks only when outdoors, but for activities carried out indoors and on public transportation, masks must still be worn.
Jokowi said that the Indonesian government did not want to follow other countries that immediately implemented a policy of removing masks. According to him, there are a number of stages that must be passed before rushing into making decisions.
“This is still a transition period, in about six months we will see what it looks like. We must remain careful and vigilant,” concluded Jokowi.