Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, has urged the Lampung provincial government to tighten surveillance of public activities to curb the spread of coronavirus infections in Sumatra.
"The governor must be consistent in controlling (public activities) in the province to prevent the spread of COVID-19 since Lampung is a gateway to Sumatra Island," he said here on Thursday.
To that end, the local administration must tighten the mobility of travelers, including the scrutiny of COVID-19-free certificates, he added.
"COVID-19-free certificates must be checked consistently although we do not rule out the possibility that many people can still get through the checkpoints without them," the minister said.
Lampung is a strategic region for travelers going to and from Java, so there is a need to intensify the surveillance of public activities in the province, he explained.
"We have tightened (the mobility of people) as we did during the Eid-al-Fitr homecoming period. Lampung is very strategic since all people traveling from Sumatra to Java or the other way around must pass through Lampung," Effendy added.
Attention needs to be accorded to the handling of COVID-19 from upstream to downstream levels to tackle the spread of COVID-19, he further said.
"The handling of COVID-19 from the upstream to downstream levels, including preparing beds, providing immediate treatment, and classifying cases, should run well to prevent the spread of infections," he added. (INE)