Jakarta. The Jakarta city administration has fined a McDonald's restaurant at the Sarinah shopping center in Central Jakarta, the fast-food chain's first restaurant in Indonesia, for holding a mass gathering in violation of the city's large-scale social restriction, or PSBB.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the landmark restaurant to mark its closure for good on Sunday, disregarding the PSBB's physical distancing rule. 

Videos of the crowd outside the McDonald's restaurant has attracted the wrath of other Indonesians who have sheltered themselves at home during the PSBB, which in Jakarta has been extended until May 22. 

Arifin, the head of Jakarta's Municipal Police (Satpol PP), said the city administration had summoned the restaurant's management to explain themselves. 

"They were cooperative and admitted their mistake," Arifin said on Thursday. 

"The restaurant has already paid the fine of Rp 10 million [$672]," he said.

Arifin said both businesses and communities must show more discipline in following PSBB  rules to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the capital. 

"The government can't do it alone. We need cooperation from the community and businesses," he said.

The iconic McDonald's outlet was forced to close as the Sarinah building – Jakarta's first skyscraper opened in 1966 – is set to undergo a major renovation.

The building's management will conduct technical and architectural audits on the aging building in the next few weeks.

The renovation is scheduled to begin next month.

Under Jakarta's PSBB rules, gatherings of more than five people are prohibited. 

The restriction also requires schools, offices, places of worship and other public places to shut down.

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