Covid-19 cases in several regions have been surging over the last week. The situation has arisen along with slackening control of health protocol compliance.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
KOMPAS/YOLA SASTRA
An elderly citizen gets an injection of the Covid-19 vaccine at the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, Padang, West Sumatra, Saturday (24/4/2021). The vaccination achievement for the elderly is still low, around 2.19 percent of the total target of 442,033 people. Meanwhile, new cases in West Sumatra are still high.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A number of regions in the country have been facing significant increases in cases of infection and mortality due to Covid-19. This serves as a warning for the need to tighten control of health protocol observance and residents’ mobility. Covid-19 task force command posts should also be strengthened to anticipate rapid rises in the number of cases during the Idul Fitri break.
The highest records of new cases reported by the Covid-19 Control Task Force over the past week were in Riau (930 cases), West Sumatra (758 cases), Bangka Belitung Islands (408 cases), East Nusa Tenggara (353 cases) and South Sumatra (237 cases). The highest fatality rates were listed in Central Java (178 cases), South Sumatra (25 cases), Jakarta (20 cases), West Java (18 cases) and Aceh (15 cases).
At the same time, the number of regions considered high risk or red zones increased by 13 to 19 regencies/cities, while moderate risk or orange zone status increased by 18 to 340 regencies/cities.
“All provinces facing significant increases in death toll due to Covid-19 this week are requested to immediately evaluate Covid-19 control in their regions. The regencies/cities with the highest fatality rates should be identified and the handling of patients be improved, especially those with moderate and severe symptoms,” said Covid-19 Task Force spokesman Wiku Bakti Bawono Adisasmito in Jakarta on Tuesday (27/4/2021).
On 27 April 2021, 4,656 new cases of Covid-19 infection were recorded in Indonesia with 168 deaths. This brought the total of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia to 1.65 million with 44,939 fatalities.
KOMPAS/KRISTI UTAMI
Ihsaniyah Islamic Boarding School in West Tegal District, Tegal City, Central Java, Tuesday (27/4/2021). In this Islamic boarding school, 13 people have been exposed to Covid-19.
In Malang city, East Java, Covid-19 cases have been rising in line with the relaxed observance of health protocols. Previously, Covid-19 cases in Malang increased in number by 3-6 daily, but in the last two days there has been a surge of 17-20 cases per day.
In Aceh, according to Aceh Covid-19 Task Force spokesman Saifullah Abdulgani, the number of cases rose by 67 on Monday (26/4), tripling the increase on the previous day. In Medan, public areas like Kesawan City Walk were getting crowded and many people failed to comply with health protocols.
Meanwhile, 13 people in Ihsaniyah Islamic Boarding School, West Tegal district, Tegal city, Central Java, tested positive for Covid-19. In-class activity inviting crowding in this school was suspended and all students were asked to enter self-isolation for two weeks.
With such conditions in those regions, Wiku hopes regional adherence to the imposition of micro-scale public activity restrictions (PPKM) should be ensured. The increasing cases in office clusters in Jakarta should be followed by the suspension of office operation. Regional Covid-19 task forces should also ascertain the observance of 50 percent maximum office attendance.
Besides, the operation of Covid-19 task force command posts in all regions also requires strengthening by providing a legal basis and allocating the budget needed. This is primarily meant to anticipate the potential for surging cases in the Idul Fitri holiday period. It is to be accompanied by intensified examinations and contact tracing of Covid-19 cases for early identification.
Passengers from India
HUMAS POLRES BANDARA SOEKARNO-HATTA
A total of 32 Indian citizens were sent home via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, on Sunday (25/4/2021).
The police have revealed the presence of a syndicate at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, which by demanding fees of millions of rupiah can guarantee air passengers from India an exemption from 14-day quarantine.
Jakarta Metro Police Chief Spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said an Indonesian citizen initialed JD arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Sunday (25/4) at 19.30. With the help of S and the child of S, RW, he was able to directly go home and evade quarantine. He then transferred Rp6.5 million to the account of S for the service rendered.
With the drastic surge of Covid-19 cases in India, added Yusri, three steps were taken to handle air passengers already traveling to India and arriving in Indonesia through Soekarno-Hatta. First, screening is conducted by officers from various institutions, Second, passengers already traveling to India over the last 14 days are transferred. Third, they are quarantined at a hotel or the Athletes Village in Jakarta.
So far, investigators are probing how S and RW were capable of “penetrating” the series of handling procedures so that they could help JD evade the quarantine obligation. S and RW are often engaged in activity at Soekarno-Hatta and acquainted with several people there.
To JD, S and RW claimed to be airport protocol officers. The investigation of JD’s case has made the police informed of two Indian citizens managing to evade the 14-day quarantine obligation. The syndicate helping them to evade quarantine was not affiliated with S and RW, but the tactic was similar. The police are pursuing the other culprits.
We are (still) searching for information so that we cannot yet make any response.
M. Holik Muardi, Senior Manager of Branch Communication & Legal Affairs of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, said he could not yet comment on the matter. “We are (still) searching for information so that we cannot yet make any response,” he said via a short message.
JD, S and RW are liable to Law No.6/2018 on Health Quarantine and Law No.4/1984 on the Epidemic of Infectious Disease.
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Badung, Bali, had not yet received foreign citizens from India entering Bali until yesterday. According to Wiku, Indonesia should tighten mobility control at the national and international scales.
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