The Covid-19 task force has closed a number of businesses in Banyuwangi, East Java, for not following the health protocol.
By
ANGGER PUTRANTO
·5 minutes read
HUMAS PEMDA BANYUWANGI
Officers with the Banyuwangi Covid-19 Mitigation Task Force Team close a number of shops and food stalls that had failed to implement health protocols in Banyuwangi, East Java, Sunday (12/7/2020). Business actors were given the opportunity to make improvements so that their businesses could resume operation.
BANYUWANGI, KOMPAS – The Covid-19 task force in Banyuwangi, East Java, has closed down a number of shops and stalls in the regency for not implementing the health protocol.
The owners of these businesses have been given a second chance to make changes to be allowed to operate again. However, if they are still unable to follow the required health protocol, the local administration will not hesitate to revoke their business licenses.
The public lauded the task force’s firm action against the businesses during an unannounced inspection in the regency capital.
The sudden inspection occurred on Sunday night in a joint operation involving the local Covid-19 task force, the culture and tourism office and the public order agency.
"Of the several businesses we inspected, nine were not implementing the health protocol. These included three modern mini markets and six eateries,” the head of the local cultural and tourism office, Yanuarto Bramuda, said in Banyuwangi on Monday.
Bramuda said that the local administration had regularly conducted a public campaign on implementing the Covid-19 prevention guidelines for businesses in the regency. However, many shops and eateries still did not comply with the health protocol, he said.
Bramuda said that the inspection team uncovered a number of violations, such as in the arrangement of tables and chairs in restaurants and food stalls, and the absence of hand washing facilities. A number of waiters in several restaurants also did not wear face masks and gloves, he said.
"We found a waiter who took off his mask. There were also visitors who did not wear masks. We want both customers and traders to follow the health rules,” said Bramuda.
HUMAS PEMDA BANYUWANGI
Officers with the Banyuwangi Covid-19 Mitigation Task Force Team close a number of shops and food stalls that had failed to implement health protocols in Banyuwangi, East Java, Sunday (12/7/2020).
The violations included the arrangement of tables and chairs and the absence of hand washing facilities, Bramuda said, adding that in some restaurants, there was no space between one table and another.
Meanwhile, the head of the Banyuwangi public order agency (Satpol PP), Anacletto Da Silva, said the Covid-19 task force had regularly run a public campaign on implementing the health protocol that targeted local businesses. Many business owners had been reprimanded for not implementing the health protocol as required, but they continued to violate the rule, he added.
Anacletto said that the agency had no choice but to close businesses like shops, cafes and restaurants that continued to violate the health protocol. The businesses would be closed for at least three days and would be allowed to reopen once they had met the Covid-19 prevention guidelines, he said.
"We have closed them temporarily. We gave the owners of the businesses guidance on the health protocol. They were also asked to sign a statement saying that they must follow the health protocol if they wanted to reopen their businesses and be ready to face sanctions if they continued to violate the protocol,” he explained.
If the owners of wayward business perpetuated their error and continued to ignore the health protocol, the local administration would not hesitate to revoke their business permits, he said.
We gave the owners of the businesses guidance on the health protocol.
The decisive action was not the first that the local Covid-19 task force has taken. Earlier, it also closed a department store at Blambangan Park in the city for not implementing the health protocol.
Public Health lecturer Dian Santo Prayoga of Airlangga University in Surabaya said that he supported the decisive action taken by the Banyuwangi regency administration and the local Covid-19 task force against the wayward business owners. He said that firm action was needed in order to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
HUMAS PEMDA BANYUWANGI
Officers with the Banyuwangi Covid-19 Mitigation Task Force Team close a number of shops and food stalls that had failed to implement health protocols in Banyuwangi, East Java, Sunday (12/7/2020).
Dian said food stall owners must also be firm against their customers as regards the health protocol. “They must also be firm. If there are any customers who are undisciplined, they must be bold enough to reject them or ask the customers to take their orders home,” he said.
According to Dian, firmness and discipline were key during the current difficulties. He hoped that the assertive action was taken without discrimination. However, he said that closing a business was not enough. More efforts were needed so that the economy could grow without abandoning the health protocol.
"If we talk about health and the economy, the government must also take further steps, namely mentoring. The goal is how business owners can still open their businesses while protecting public health," he said.
This is proof that the government is serious about controlling and preventing the spread of Covid-19
The forced closure of the shops, stalls or restaurants that violated the health protocol was also appreciated by the Banyuwangi Lawan Korona Community, which groups volunteers from a variety fo backgrounds. The group educates the people on the risks associated with Covid-19 transmission and helps clarify confusing information on Covid-19 that was circulating in the community.
"We appreciate the steps of the regional administration and the local Covid-19 task force for their decisive action to close those businesses that violated the health protocol. This is proof that the government is serious about controlling and preventing the spread of Covid-19,” said Ahmad Suudi, the group’s spokesman.
Suudi said that the task force’s firm stance was one of the keys in curbing the spread of Covid-19. Assertiveness was needed to discipline citizens amid the increase in new Covid-19 cases.
He also expressed hope that the local administration would continue taking such decisive steps until the pandemic ended. He also hoped that the task force would mete out the same treatment to all those that violated the health protocol.
Banyuwangi has 38 confirmed cases of Covid-19, of which 23 have recovered, 13 are under treatment and one has died of the disease.
