Jakarta DPRD Urges Government to Act Swiftly: Prevent a Repeat of the Covid-19 Situation

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Public concern regarding the hantavirus has increased after various pieces of information about the virus circulated widely on social media. Member of Commission E of the Jakarta DPRD, Yudha Permana, has asked the Jakarta Provincial Government to immediately take mitigation measures and strengthen public education to prevent panic.

According to Yudha, the government must not allow the public to be haunted by fear due to information that is not yet fully understood.

“Now the public is starting to get scared after seeing various information on social media. The government must be present to provide clear education about what to do and what not to do,” said Yudha in Jakarta, Friday (15/5/2026).

He also encouraged the Jakarta Provincial Government to strengthen the readiness of health facilities and the handling system in case of a wider spread of the hantavirus.

“The hope is, of course, that it will not spread widely. But the government must still be prepared to anticipate the worst-case scenario,” he said.

Yudha believes that the potential spread of the hantavirus should not be taken lightly. According to him, the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic should be an important lesson for the government to be more responsive in dealing with new infectious disease threats.

“We must not be too late in anticipating. The COVID-19 experience must be a major lesson,” he said.

Therefore, he asked the Jakarta Provincial Government together with the central government to immediately conduct an in-depth study regarding the potential spread of the hantavirus in Indonesia.

“There must be a special study from the Jakarta Provincial Government together with the Central Government. The point is, we must be prepared, learn from the COVID-19 experience,” said Yudha.

The Threat of Disease in Big Cities

Increased concern about the hantavirus also highlights the classic problem of big cities like Jakarta: environmental sanitation and the difficult-to-control rat population. Population density, poor waste management, and inadequate drainage are considered factors that can increase the risk of various environment-based diseases.