The 23-day public activity restrictions (PPKM) are deemed to have been successful in slowing transmission. The curbs are to be extended with adjustments. Nonetheless, infection rates are still high in several regions.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
ISTIMEWA/SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
Screenshot via the Presidential Secretariat\'s Youtube account, Sunday (25/7/2021), when President Joko Widodo announced his decision to continue implementing restrictions on community activities (PPKM).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — With the continued enforcement of level 4 public activity restrictions (PPKM) from 26 July to Monday (2/8/2021), some adjustments will be made in phases concerning public activity and mobility. The public is called upon to be alert to the possible appearance of other more infectious variants.
“Considering the aspects of health, economy and social dynamism, I decide to continue the imposition of PPKM level 4 from 26 July to 2 August 2021. However, we will make several public activity and mobility adjustments in phases with extra care,” said President Joko Widodo when delivering an announcement at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, on Sunday (25/7/2021).
The adjustments to be introduced include the permission for traditional markets selling basic necessities to open as usual by observing tight health protocols. Adjustments will also apply to sidewalk vendors and food stalls.
President Jokowi also expressed gratitude to the people of Indonesia for having supported the implementation of PPKM for the last 23 days.
According to the President, an improving trend occurred during the PPKM enforcement. The rate of increase in new cases, the rate of hospital bed occupancy and the positivity rate indicated a declining trend as found in some provinces in Java.
The socioeconomic aspect of society and the fulfillment of daily needs are also prioritized.
Specifically, the President asked relevant ministers to immediately make available vitamins and medicines to the public. The mortality rate should be reduced as much as possible. In regions with high mortality, hospital capacity and oxygen supply should be increased.
The President also warned the public to watch out for the possible emergence of other more infectious variants. The President ordered the intensification of testing, followed by treatment to curb the rate of infection and raise the rate of recovery.
“At the same time, the socioeconomic aspect of society and the fulfillment of daily needs are also prioritized,” he added.
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Traders pack food ordered by customers near the Sudirman office area, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (7/7/2021). During the implementation of the Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM), restaurants and food stalls are still allowed to sell by take away only.
Still high
The lines of patients in hospitals in Jakarta are easing off although intensive care units (ICU) remain packed. The rate of infection in Java and Bali has not yet decreased, it is even rising outside Java.
Eva Sri Diana, a pulmonologist in Pasar Rebo Regional General Hospital (RSUD), East Jakarta, said there was no longer overcrowding of patients but the ICU remained full. There was a tendency for patients arriving at the hospital to already be in a serious condition due to their previous self- isolation. Patients in a severe condition mostly died. “The number of self-isolation patients should be noted,” she said.
An epidemiologist at University of Indonesia’s School of Health, Iwan Ariawan, said the number of cases in Jakarta had indeed declined. The case decrease in Jakarta was already analyzed on the basis of onset dates, unaffected by any case decrease bias.
But care should be taken before lowering PPKM level 4 to level 3. Hospital bed occupancy should first be examined, especially the condition of ICUs and the oxygen deficit. “Any case decrease needs to last a minimum of two weeks, with random fluctuations we should not assume that a decline has taken place,” said Iwan.
By referring to the criteria of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry, PPKM can be lowered from level 4 to level 3 in regions where cases have kept declining and the bed occupancy rate and ICU condition are below 80 percent.
Based on the corona.jakarta.go.id website, isolation room occupancy in Jakarta has reached 79 percent.
Nationally, there was a decrease in the number of cases on Sunday (25/7). There were 38,679 new cases while active cases declined by 227 cases, bringing the total to 573,908 cases. The number of deaths increased by 1,266 people so that the total was 83,279 people.
The daily case decrease nationally occurred in line with the inadequate testing coverage. This brought the positivity rate to 31.16 percent and by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab tests 45.39 percent.
Kompas/Priyombodo
Traffic conditions were low in the Hotel Indonesia roundabout area, Central Jakarta, on the last day of the extension of the implementation of the restriction on community activities or PPKM level 4, Sunday (25/7/2021).
An epidemiologist of Airlangga University Surabaya, Windhu Purnomo, said cases of infection in Java-Bali seemed to decline on certain days because of decreasing numbers of tests. “The positivity rate is very high, 5-8 times as high as the WHO standard of a maximum of 5 percent,” he pointed out.
Covid-19 infection in East Java, for instance, has not yet flattened. When the emergency PPKM started on 3 July, the daily increase in East Java was 1,439 cases and active cases or treated patients totaled 9,698 people. On the last day of PPKM level 3-4, Sunday (25/7), the daily increase reached 4,763 cases and treated patients 53,353 people. The impact was that the total number of patients under treatment kept rising.
Outside Java
With reference to the meeting of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry on Saturday (24/7), 45 regencies/cities in 21 provinces fall under PPKM level 4 and this will be implemented on 26 July-8 August 2021. One of them is Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
Asep Purnama, a doctor in RSUD Tc Hillers Maumere, Sikka, said the trend of Covid-19 cases in his region kept increasing. Hospital bed occupancy in Sikka on 22 July was already 76 percent, the highest in NTT. In fact, the percentage of vaccination was below the national average.
Asep added that self-isolation patients had not yet been recorded in his region. LaporCovid-19 revealed that 2,670 self-isolation patients in 88 regencies/cities in 17 provinces had died. Eight of them were in NTT. (WKM/BRO/AIK/IKI/NCA)
