Pandemic and Local Measures: Witnessing Pandemic in Yogyakarta, Indonesia a City with no Lockdown

On a Friday morning, from the loudspeaker of a nearby mosque, I could hear the voice of the khateeb (mosque leader). In the first time for perhaps many decades, he asked people not to go to the mosque for Friday prayer so as to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. A few days later, a car with loudspeakers attached passed by my house. Inside, a man from the district council used the loudspeaker to tell people to stay at home, wash their hands, and practice a "healthy and clean lifestyle." I imagine similar messages being amplified across the city. This was the face of Yogyakarta-a court city in Central Java, Indonesia, that is also known as the "city of education" and "city of tourism"-at least it was in the first months after the announcement of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike a few other Indonesian cities that have attempted to impose local lockdowns, the local government of Yogyakarta have maintained a position in favor of social distancing rather than a full lockdown.