Indonesia’s president admitted over the weekend that he deliberately held back information about the spread of the coronavirus to prevent the public from panicking.

The revelation came as infections spiked to 117 and President Joko Widodo and his cabinet took precautionary Covid-19 tests after the transport minister was diagnosed with the disease.

“We did not deliver certain information to the public because we did not want to stir panic. We have worked hard to overcome this, since the novel coronavirus outbreak can happen regardless of the country border,” the president said, according to the Jakarta Post.

The president urged the public to remain vigilant, pledging to inform people whenever a new cluster appeared. Most confirmed cases have emerged in the capital, Jakarta, but infections have also been reported in cities in western and central Java, Manado, Pontianak and the holiday island of Bali.

The authorities have suggested that people now work from home several provinces and cities have joined the capital in announcing school closures this week.