Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has all but denied reports that malls in the capital would reopen the day after the third phase of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) ends on June 4, which falls next Thursday.
The governor said that talk of reopening malls is not yet on the agenda seeing as PSBB has yet to be officially lifted.
“So if there’s anyone who said that malls will open on the fifth, it’s [just] imagination, it’s fiction because there is no regulation saying PSBB is ending,” Anies said in an official statement issued by the Jakarta Provincial Government yesterday.
Anies said that the administration has yet to decide on whether to end or continue PSBB.
“PSBB is still in place, which means that places that aren’t included in the permitted sectors shouldn’t start operating. This is a decisive week that will determine if PSBB should be ended,” Anies continued.
Ellen Hidayat, who heads the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), said on Monday that malls in the Greater Jakarta Area could reopen on June 5.
She said that malls across Jakarta are set to reopen in stages, beginning Friday, June 5 to Monday, June 8. The first day is set to see the reopening of 60 malls in the capital, including Plaza Indonesia, Senayan City, Kota Kasablanka, Pondok Indah Mall, Puri Indah Mall, and AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City. Meanwhile, Grand Indonesia, Teras Benhil, Kelapa Gading Mall, and Sunter Mall are scheduled to open on June 8.
Ellen said that the malls will reopen with various provisions of the COVID-19 protocols, such as face mask requirement, temperature checks at the entrance, and maintaining physical distance between visitors.
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