The nation must face this difficult condition with resilience. On the one hand, we must be able to withstand the impact of the restrictions. On the other hand, we must be able to recover.
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KOMPAS EDITOR
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BIRO PERS, MEDIA DAN INFORMASI (BPMI) 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).
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has decided to extend the level 4 public activity restrictions (PPKM) for another week until 2 August. Though difficult, this condition must be faced.
The second wave of Covid-19 we are currently experiencing has been marked by a daily increase in new confirmed cases of up to four times the highest recorded caseload during the first wave of infections. Although the curve has now begun to flatten, the decline has not been significant.
The highest daily record during the first wave was 14,518 cases, which occurred on 30 Jan. 2021. During this second wave, daily cases jumped to 56,775 on 15 July 2021. The daily tally started to decline on Saturday with 38,679 cases recorded. But this figure is still far above the record figure of the first wave.
A similar situation also occurred in India. Its first peak started on 17 Sept. 2020 with 97,894 daily cases. The country recorded the peak of its second wave on 7 May 2021 with 414,188 cases, an increase of 4.2 times. The daily tally of new confirmed cases in India, however, has decreased considerably compared to that recorded during the first wave. It took India 32 days to reduce the number of daily cases. On 24 July, the number fell to 40,284 cases.
We certainly hope that, with the consistent policies applied by both central and regional governments, coupled with public discipline, we can celebrate our Independence Day on 17 Aug. with a significant decline in new cases. Indonesia’s tally of new confirmed Covid-19 cases is already below that recorded during the first wave and is continuing to shrink.
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Residents queue to verify data when they are going to disburse cash social assistance (BST) in Peninggilan Village, Ciledug District, Tangerang City, Banten, Saturday (24/7/2021). The government distributes BST to residents affected by the pandemic, especially those who have lost their jobs or have reduced income due to the Covid-19 pandemic response policy, including the implementation of restrictions on community activities or emergency PPKM.
A similar decline should also occur in the fatality rate. In India, the death toll during the second wave increased 3.9 times that of the first wave. During its second wave, the highest toll was 5,015 deaths recorded on 23 May 2021. India succeeded in reducing its death toll over a period of 34 days to 1,287, around the toll reported during the first wave.
In Indonesia’s first wave, the country marked its record high of 476 deaths on 28 Jan. During its second wave, the toll has risen 3.3 times to 1,566 deaths in a single day. On Sunday, 25 July 2021, the daily toll began to decline with 1,266 deaths. It is hoped this is a sign that the fatality curve is starting to flatten.
The emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat), which began on 3 July, has proven successful in curbing the people’s movements, which can be seen from the Google community mobility index. PPKM level 4 was implemented from 21 to 25 July and began to bear fruit in terms of a reduction in the daily tally. The weeklong extension, therefore, must be enforced effectively.
The nation must face this difficult condition with resilience. On the one hand, we must be able to withstand the impact of the restrictions. On the other hand, we must be able to recover. Indonesia is a nation of fighters that is known for its high spirit of solidarity, and has the capital to deal with the situation.
To quote Leo Tolstoy: “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
