Demonstrators in Jakarta found infected with COVID-19

JAKARTA: Protesters of a demonstration in Jakarta yesterday were found positive and reactive for COVID-19 after they were detained and had health screening.

Many observers were worried that the demonstration yesterday would spark off a new cluster when Indonesia recorded an overall of 324,658 positive cases as at today.

According to Jakarta Police Public Relations head, Yusri Yunus, five individuals held in the riot yesterday were found positive for the virus while 34 others were found reactive and would undergo further tests.

Yesterday, Jakarta police detained more than 1,000 rioters, most of them students and youths who appeared to be influenced by the demonstration and did not know of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation which was passed by the Parliament of Indonesia on Monday.

Local television stations today aired live news coverage of parents queueing up at various Jakarta police stations to bail their children held yesterday.

Apart from Jakarta, demonstrations also erupted in several cities in Indonesia, among them Bandung, Lampung, Tangerang, Makassar, Yogyakarta and Surabaya, believed organised by student groups and trade unions.

The demonstrators are protesting a labour law which they claimed is weakening the rights of workers and the demonstration later turned into a riot when police attempted to disperse the crowd.

The Omnibus Law on Job Creation is a proposal of President Joko Widodo last year, to reduce the various bureaucracies to encourage foreign investors to Indonesia to create more employment opportunities.

The law is to replace tens of existing regulations including over ridiculous matters such as unlimited period for worker contract, restructuring annual leave for women having their periods, setting the minimum wage according to the province, as well as a more systematic law on compensation for retrenched workers.

Jokowi has 30 days to sign the legislation or otherwise after it has been passed by Parliament on Oct 5.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) in its official Twitter site today said there were 4,094 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours while the overall death toll is now at 11,677.

-- BERNAMA