Toughness and Tracing Decisive During PSBB

Offices are one of the focal points of the newly reinstated large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta. A team has been formed to oversee the PSBB implementation at offices

KOMPAS/SATRIO PANGARSO WISANGGENI

Kampung Melayu Terminal on the first day of re-enactment of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) in the DKI Jakarta area, Monday (14/9/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Detecting confirmed cases of Covid-19 and tracing any close contacts, as well as close monitoring and tough action to enforce health protocol compliance, are an absolute must for the effective implementation of the newly reinstated large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta. Without these measures, reinstating the PSBB will not be effective.

On Monday (14/9/2020), the first day of the reinstated PSBB in Jakarta, a notable decrease in large gatherings at shopping centers, stations, terminals, food courts and on the roads was observed. “Operasi Yustisi”, a joint public order measure, was launched along Jakarta’s borders with adjacent cities.

Personnel stationed at the command posts of the operation in East, South and Central Jakarta netted many residents who were going about their daily activities barefaced, or if they wore masks, the masks were not properly fitted. Those netted in the operations generally opted for community service rather than paying the Rp 250,000 fine.

Also read: PSBB Serves as Middle Ground

Some of the noncompliant residents netted in the operation argued that they had simply forgotten to wear a mask, had left their mask at home, or were still adjusting to the “new normal” policy under the transitional PSBB.

Jakarta traffic police chief Comr. Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said that a total of eight public order and safety command posts had been set up for monitoring compliance in the transportation sector. The command posts that were set up during the initial PSBB in March-April have been reactivated.

The techniques used in the public order and safety operation, including the number of personnel per team and the strategic locations of the monitoring posts, are still under discussion.

As for the movement of workers, according to data from the Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration and Energy Office, 79,849 businesses with a total of 2,170,878 employees operate in the capital. Under the current PSBB regulations, 500,000-600,000 workers in 11 essential sectors (maximum 50 percent employee attendance) and non-essential sectors (maximum 25 percent employee attendance) may travel within Jakarta.

KOMPAS/SATRIO PANGARSO WISANGGENI

A pedestrian bridge in the Cawang area, East Jakarta, on the first day of the re-enactment of the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) in the DKI Jakarta area, Monday (14/9/2020).

The Jakarta manpower office has formed five supervisory teams of four members each that have been been assigned to each municipal district.

"Each team is tasked with supervising at least three offices in a single day. The goal is to supervise restrictions [on employee attendance], health protocol compliance, and [to detect] any confirmed cases of Covid-19 among employees,” said Andri Yansyah, who heads the Jakarta manpower office.

Offices are one of the focal points of the reinstated PSBB because of the increase in infection clusters at offices. The Jakarta manpower office is urging members of the public as well as employees to report any recalcitrant offices.

Each team is tasked with supervising at least three offices in a single day.

Latest developments

As of Monday, according to the data published on corona.jakarta.go.id, Jakarta recorded 1,062 new cases on the previous day to bring its cumulative tally to 55,926 confirmed cases. The figure represents around a quarter of all confirmed cases in the country. Jakarta tested 3,834 people on Monday using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test, with the test results generating a positivity rate of 7.3 percent, about half the national rate of 14.1 percent.

Meanwhile, the capital recorded 12,161 active cases (hospitalized patients or people in self-isolation), or 279 less than the previous day. These data has prompted several precautionary measures.

Also read: Don\'t Repeat PSBB Failure

"At least 20 Covid-19 referral hospitals in Jakarta have reached a bed occupancy rate of 100 percent. However, the average hospital (which are already full) has only one or two beds (left) in the ICU [intensive care unit] and eight beds (left) at most," said Doni Monardo, the Covid-19 Management Task Force chief.

The ICUs at Jakarta hospitals have now reached a bed occupancy rate of 63 percent. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said that Jakarta’s healthcare system still had sufficient capacity to treat Covid-19 patients. At the very least, the healthcare capacity at the Kemayoran Athletes Village emergency hospital was still sufficient to treat patients with a mild form of the disease.

KOMPAS/SATRIO PANGARSO WISANGGENI

Some officers supervise the implementation of the health protocol in the Kalibata area, South Jakarta, on the first day of the re-enforcement of the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) in the DKI Jakarta area, Monday (14/9/2020).

The hospital has two additional towers with available beds, towers six and seven. Tower six has 6,146 beds of which only 890 are occupied. Tower seven had 2,472 beds, with only 749 occupied at present. Towers four and five, with 2,472 beds each, still have sufficient healthcare capacity.

Epidemiologist Pandu Riono of the University of Indonesia again underlined that Covid-19 management and control should be viewed not only from the availability of health facilities and infrastructure, but also the readiness of health workers. More important was the commitment of all parties to adhere to the health protocol.

There is no guarantee that everyone will survive, even those who have no initial symptoms.

To date, at least 115 doctors have died of the coronavirus. A much greater number of nurses have died of the disease.

"Do not be swayed by the concept of herd immunity, because those who survive are those who have been fortunate enough to recover. There is no guarantee that everyone will survive, even those who have no initial symptoms,” Pandu said.

Also read: Covid-19 Becoming Uncontrollable

Responding to the PSBB in Jakarta, the nation’s Covid-19 epicenter, three outlying regions in West Java have extended their micro-scale social restrictions to Bogor, Depok and Bekasi. A number of restrictions have been imposed to control community movement.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil expressed his hope that coordination among regional leaders in Covid-19 management would have a direct impact. West Java has four red zones, including Bogor, Depok and Bekasi. The fourth red zone is the city of Cimahi.

Meanwhile, no further coordination measures had been taken by Sunday in Banten, where the three regions that form Greater Tangerang – Tangerang regency and the cities of Tangerang and South Tangerang – border the capital from the northwest to the southwest. (JOG/IGA/VAN/HLN/DNE/GIO/RTG/TAN)