Avoid Halfhearted Social Restrictions

Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO

Violators of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) affected by the PP police raid recorded his data before serving a sentence sweeping the sidewalks on Jalan Bekasi Barat, around the Locomotive Market, East Jakarta, Monday (22/6/2020). Residents who refuse punishment will be fined Rp. 250,000. Entering the PSBB transition period, there are still many residents who do not wear masks and without keeping a distance in the crowd. Compliance with health protocols is expected to enter the transition period of the PSBB.

A number of regional administrations have issued a regulation that was much looser than the one issued by the central government concerning social restrictions. Synergy and the government’s assertiveness are needed.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Seriousness and assertiveness are urgently needed in reinstating social restrictions to get COVID-19 transmission under control. If not, the government’s decision to tighten social restrictions would not be effective.

President Joko Widodo’s recent policy to reimpose social restrictions, also known as large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), has been followed up with the issuance of Home Ministerial Instruction No. 1/2021 on Wednesday (6/1/2021). The instruction was addressed to all regional leaders, particularly the governors of Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and Bali.

Also read: Local Governments Accelerate Preparation for Vaccination Officers

Furthermore, the instruction was also specifically addressed to the eregents/mayors of prioritized regions, which include Jabodetabek, Greater Bandung, Cimahi, Greater Semarang, Greater Banyumas, Greater Solo, Greater Surabaya, Greater Malang, Denpasar, Bandung and five other regencies/cities in Yogyakarta.

The instruction stipulates a stricter work-from-home policy that requires 75 percent of workers to work remotely, the continuation of online learning, the restriction of shopping centers’ operation hours to 7 p.m. and the limitation of houses of worship occupancy to 50 percent capacity.

Therefore, certain steps are urgently needed to get the pandemic under control.

“If we scrutinize the current dynamics and development, it can be seen that the escalation of COVID-19 transmission has become more severe and shown no signs of abating. Therefore, certain steps are urgently needed to get the pandemic under control,” said Home Ministry information head Benni Irwan on Thursday (7/1).

During a press conference in the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) office yesterday, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto asked regional administrations whose jurisdictions were prioritized in the implementation of PSBB to immediately formulate and pass relevant regional regulations. The regional regulations are expected to be completed before the PSBB are fully enforced from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25, 2021.

“Other than regulations, all regions must also prepare Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers to maintain public discipline,” said Airlangga.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

A police officer instructs a woman to sit in the rear seat at a checkpoint on the Jakarta-Depok border in West Java on 15 April 2020. National Police-Indonesian Military (TNI) teams are manning checkpoints across Greater Jakarta to enforce the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

The national COVID-19 task force’s Doni Monardo further added that precise and well-measured steps were urgently needed in addressing the rise of COVID-19 cases. The number of active cases in early January 2021 has more than doubled from the previous two months to around 112,000 cases.

Also read: Regional Administrations Await Technical Instructions from Central Govt

Based on data released by kawalcovid19.id, as of Jan. 7, 2021 at 04:11 p.m., the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had reached 797,723 cases, increasing by 9,321 cases from the previous day. The number of hospitalized patients rose to 114,766 people (increase of 2,173 cases) and 23,520 people had died (increase of 224 deaths). Meanwhile, the number of recovered patients stood at 659,437 people.

According to Doni, the spike of active COVID-19 cases has led to a significant increase of patients at hospitals. While the government has attempted to add more hospital beds, the facilities currently available will still be insufficient to treat all patients if the number of COVID-19 infections continues to rise. The limited number of medical workers and doctors will pose a serious challenge as well.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

The national COVID-19 task force’s Doni Monardo

“The implementation of social restrictions is expected to reduce the percentage of active cases by more than 20 percent. This expectation is based on the social restrictions that were imposed in September 2020, which proved effective in decreasing the number of cases by 20 percent,” said Doni.

Looser regulations

A portion of regional leaders, however, have not followed up on the home ministerial instruction, opting instead to issue looser regulations. For instance, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengku Buwono has issued a Gubernatorial Instruction No. 1/INSTR/2021 concerning the tightening of social restrictions in the province. The instruction stipulates a work-from-home policy that requires workplaces to limit staff numbers to 50 percent of office capacity.

Regional administrations in Greater Malang also agreed to impose PSBB in line with local circumstances. This is so that the regional economies can remain stable amid social restrictions.

We have all agreed to modify and adjust the instruction based on the circumstances in Greater Malang.

“It’s an instruction from the Home Ministry, so we have no choice but to implement it. However, not all provisions within the instruction can be fully enforced in Greater Malang. We have all agreed to modify and adjust the instruction based on the circumstances in Greater Malang,” said Malang Mayor Sutiajo following his meeting with Batu Mayor Dewanti Rumpoko and other representatives of the Malang administration.

Also read: The Hardest Step When the Cases Increase Rapidly

Some of the adjustments made by regional administrations in Greater Malang include reducing operational hours to 8 or 9 p.m. and limiting the number of customers to 50 percent capacity for dine-in services at restaurants.

Meanwhile, the Surabaya administration has questioned why the instruction must only be imposed in Greater Surabaya and Greater Malang, considering that there are other regions in East Java that have also been categorized as “red zones”. “I’m worried that Greater Surabaya will be overwhelmed by an influx of patients from outside the region, even though the handling [of the pandemic] here is quite good,” said acting Surabaya governor Whisnu Sakti Buana.

Epidemiologist Windhu Purnomo from Airlangga University has warned the government not to impose social restrictions in a halfhearted manner. The government must be assertive in limiting social activities. Social restrictions will remain ineffective if they are only partially enforced.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Workers head home on Thursday (23/4/2020) after finishing their shifts at a garment factory in Dayeuhkolot, Bandung regency, West Java. Protecting workers from Covid-19 infection is critical as a number of businesses continue to operate during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) implemented in Greater Bandung.

“Other than the PSBB, the law also stipulates the option of local quarantine. The government must consider other options in order to issue more progressive policies,” said Windhu.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Widjaja Kamdani said the growth of Indonesia’s economy depended on the effectiveness and duration of PSBB implementation. “If the implementation is too long, supplies and demands will be disrupted again,” said Sintha. (BRO/NIK/DIA/NCA/DIT/HRS/COK/RTG/BOW/DNE/JUD/AIK/TAN)

(This article was translated by Astria Z. Nabila).