Exodus of Informal Workers Should be Anticipated
Informal workers in Greater Jakarta whose daily incomes have declined due to lack of work may go home to their respective villages. If not anticipated, it could further spread the COVID-19.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The decline in economic activities in Jakarta and the surrounding areas due to the COVID-19 outbreak may trigger an exodus of workers in the informal sector to their hometowns.
The central government and regional governments need to anticipate this possibility so as not to further spread the disease.
As of Wednesday (3/25/2020), the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia reached 790, an increase of 105 cases from the previous day. Most of the confirmed cases are found in Jakarta. The death toll reached 58 people, an increase of three people from the previous day.
Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist from the School of Public Health at the University of Indonesia, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the government should provide mandatory policies to the public to ensure social and physical restrictions could prevent the spread of COVID-19 more effectively.
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The possibility of an exodus of the people engaged in the informal sector is quite high, especially those who work as street vendors in Greater Jakarta because their daily incomes have decline sharply since companies asked their employees to work at home. As a result, many have opted to go back to their hometowns
In fact, Pandu said, the movement of people from Greater Jakarta to other areas could make the coronavirus transmission more widespread, given the high number of infected patients in Jakarta and surrounding areas. Even though they look healthy, the informal workers can still carry the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Meanwhile, it could be riskier because the people who live in the hometowns of informal workers are mostly elderly, the age group that is very vulnerable to COVID-1 9.
"There should be a financial incentive so that they will still be able to meet their daily needs, despite the social restriction policy," Pandu said.
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Some workers claimed to have already left Jakarta. Fawwaz Abiyyu, 22, a worker in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, left Jakarta a week ago. He returned to Indramayu, West Java, because of the increasing number of COVID-19 case in Jakarta.
"I live in Klender, East Jakarta, which has been declared a red zone. I decided to go home by train, "he said.
Rohim Siandi, 27, who worked as a janitor at a manufacturing company in East Jakarta, went home to Brebes, Central Java. He returned home not only because he was afraid of being infected with the disease but also because he had not been paid by the company for four days.
The secretary-general of the Health Ministry, Oscar Primadi, said the government had no yet imposed a lockdown. However, the social restrictions implemented by the government could be used to ask them not to leave Jakarta.
I propose that before leaving Jakarta or West Java, there should be cooperation to check the health of the people at borders.
The executive director of the Regional Autonomy Implementation Monitoring Committee, Robert Endi Jaweng, reminded the central government to firmly restrict the flow of people from Greater Jakarta to other areas . According to him, local governments, especially on islands, do not have adequate human resources and medical equipment to deal with COVID-19 as those in Java.
A special assistant to the home affairs minister, Kastorius Sinaga, said Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian’s directives had clearly stated that regional heads should impose a social distancing policy which, among others, encouraged the people to stay at home, not travel outside the city on public transportation.
Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said, an "influx of people" to Central Java had been predicted. The Central Java provincial government will communicate with other local governments, especially Jakarta and West Java, to anticipate the negative impact of the exodus.
"I propose that before leaving Jakarta or West Java, there should be cooperation to check the health of the people at borders. God willing, we will discuss the matter. It would be better if the people stay at the places where they work, and those who are here, not to visit them yet,” he said.
A similar appeal came from West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil. "I urge residents not to travel. Especially to West Java, residents who are far from their hometown, they don\'t need to go home. The majority of COVID-19 cases are found is in Jakarta. If you go home before raking a rapid test, you have the potential to become ODP [people under monitoring]," he said.
The head of the Central Kalimantan COVID-19 quick response team, Leonard S Ampung, said the team would assign officers at each port and airport to check the inflow of the people. According to him, most of the ODP in Central Kalimantan had a history of traveling to Jakarta, Surabaya in East Java and other regions.
The local government of West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara, has also ordered for the temporarily closure of Labuan Bajo Airport and sea ports in its region. West Manggarai Deputy Regent Maria Geong, contacted from Jakarta, explained that the closure of airports and seaports had been approved by the Transportation Ministry.
"This is an effort to stop the spread of outbreaks in our region," he said.
Almost complete
The construction of a hospitals specializing in COVID-19 on Galang Island, Batam, Riau Islands, is almost complete. Indonesian Military (TNI ) commander in chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, after reviewing the construction of the hospital on Wednesday, said that Jakarta residents who tested positive for COVID-19 could become priority patients for the new hospital on Galang Island.
"Now, the construction has reached more than 78 percent complete. According to the plan, it must be finished on Saturday. However, because they have to train the management first, the hospital will be opened on Monday [3/30]," said Hadi.
(BOW / TAN / RTG / BR O / REK / HRS / DIT / AIN / NAD / HAR / EDN / IDO / GIO / NDU / LOK)