The PPKM Darurat policy was imposed in a number of regions partly because of the near collapse of local health facilities. The addition of treatment rooms seems to racing against the climbing number of cases.
By
Kompas Team
·5 minutes read
All resources in the country have been mobilized to overcome the surge in Covid-19 cases, including the crucial addition of health facilities in order to prevent more deaths.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Following the imposition of the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) on the islands of Java and Bali, the government has decided to expand the same measures to regions outside Java and Bali, with 15 regencies and municipalities to follow suit from 12 to 20 July.
The 15 regions are Tanjung Pinang, Singkawang, Padang Panjang, Balikpapan, Bandar Lampung, Pontianak, Manokwari, Sorong, Batam, Bontang, Bukittinggi, Padang, Mataram, Medan and Berau.
"This measure has been set in place based on the development of Covid-19 cases, which are still escalating even outside Java-Bali," Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto told a virtual press conference on Friday (9/7/2021).
The measures encompass three steps for immediate execution. First, the government is strengthening testing, tracing and treatment in the 15 regencies and municipalities. Second, 10 kg of rice aid is being distributed to each of 10 million beneficiary households (KPM) in the Family Hope Program and 10 million KPM BST programs during the PPKM Darurat. Third, the government is providing Rp 1.2 million under the Micro Business Productive Assistance (BPUM) scheme to 3 million micro, small and medium enterprises.
"The government will also immediately give a 3rd vaccine shot to health workers on the Covid-19 front lines. This program for 1.47 million health workers will start next week," said Airlangga.
Home Minister Tito Karnavian has instructed regional heads to allocate 8 percent of the general allocation funds and profit-sharing funds to Covid-19 handling and the PPKM Darurat.
“Especially in urban areas, because they do not have a special budget and are highly dependent on their mayors. For villages, we can use 8 percent of the village funds,” he said.
In addition to cash assistance from the Social Affairs Ministry, regional heads are also asked to maximize local budget items under their social assistance and social safety net programs.
"Distribute basic necessities to affected community members," Tito stressed.
Law enforcement
The implementation of the PPKM Darurat must also be accompanied by coercive measures in terms of enforcing the law for violators. The legal basis includes Law No. 6/2018 on Health Quarantine, Law No. 4/1984 on Outbreaks of Infectious Disease, and the Criminal Code.
"These are applied in the event of a large gathering that refuse to [shut down the event]," Tito said.
Criminal sanctions have also been tightened for those who violate the provisions of the health protocol, such as wearing masks. Regional regulations can be used to hand down criminal sanctions and order self-isolation. If there is no regional regulation, the regional head is asked to immediately issue a regulation for enforcing the PPKM Darurat through social and administrative sanctions.
The PPKM Darurat policy was imposed in a number of regions partly because of the near collapse of local health facilities. The addition of treatment rooms seems to racing against the climbing number of cases.
Treatment wards
A number of referral hospitals in West Java have increased the number of beds for Covid-19 patients by 60 percent. However, no significant decrease in bed occupancy has been seen.
This week’s daily tally in West Java reached 6,000 cases, whereas in mid-May, the daily average was 700 cases.
This means that the number of new cases still remains high. The bed occupancy rate of Covid-19 patients in West Java reached 88 percent on Thursday due to the soaring number of Covid-19 cases. This week’s daily tally in West Java reached 6,000 cases, whereas in mid-May, the daily average was 700 cases.
In East Java, the Malang municipal administration has provided makeshift treatment facilities in five districts. These “alternative hospitals” use the facilities of the Education Office.
The Balikpapan municipal administration in East Kalimantan is cooperating with Mulawarman Military Base to prepare 300 additional isolation beds.
So far, the occupancy rate has reached above 90 percent of a total 500 beds for Covid-19 patients. The bed occupancy of Covid-19 patients at hospitals in Palembang, South Sumatra, has also reached a critical level at 85 percent. "In fact, several hospitals in Palembang are full," said Yudhi Setiawan, the head of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control at the Palembang Health Office.
North Sulawesi recorded 216 new cases on Thursday. On 2-8 July, it recorded a daily average of 119 new cases, 17 times the figure during the same period in June, a situation that has been deemed critical by Lidya Tulus, the head of Health Services at the North Sulawesi Health Office.
In Papua, beds and isolation wards for Covid-19 patients at hospitals in Jayapura were full. Jayapura Deputy Mayor Rustam Saru confirmed that the bed occupancy rate had reached 100 percent. "We sent a letter requesting assistance from the Papua provincial government on the provision of [additional] infrastructure," he said.
In Jakarta on Thursday, President Joko Widodo and Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas visited the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in East Jakarta. which has been converted into a Covid-19 emergency hospital and opens on Friday.
Meanwhile, Indonesia Ombudsman member Robert Na Endi Jaweng pointed out that the PPKM Darurat had not been effective. "The problems found in the field include inconsistencies in administrative supervision and law enforcement," he said.
That the airport was still open to travelers proved the government’s policy inconsistency, Robert said. As a result, members of the public used the loopholes in the government\'s inconsistent policies to violate the PPKM Darurat.
Supervision in offices and economic centers was also loose. At the same time, government assistance for communities and businesses was also lacking. According to Robert, people would continue to work without relief aid. (AGE/DIM/PDS/BOW/CIP/NSA/FLO/OKA/TAM/RAM/JOL/DIA/IDR)