By: Alfisyah Dianasari
PPKM has been extended again for another week. The continuation of PPKM for many volumes does not surprise the public, because they already understand the positive benefits. In addition to suppressing Corona cases in Indonesia, PPKM also reduces the death rate due to the Covid virus.
Since early July 2021, the government has imposed PPKM and there are various rules that limit people’s mobility, because Corona cases are on the rise. This program continues to be extended and sometimes people are confused, when will it stop? But they finally understood that PPKM was strictly enforced to control the spread of Corona.
The efficacy of PPKM was proven when the number of Corona patients dropped dramatically in a month. Let’s compare based on data from the Covid task force team. The number of Corona patients in Indonesia, on August 30, 2021, is around 4,000 people. Meanwhile, on July 30, 2021, there were 54,000 Covid patients. This means that the number has dropped drastically to less than 10%.
The decline in the number of Corona patients was also accompanied by a decrease in the number of deaths due to Covid, to around 3%. Likewise with the occupancy rate of beds in hospitals, to only 27%. This progress is very positive, so we can be grateful, thanks to the community’s discipline during PPKM, Corona is more under control.
Therefore, when PPKM is extended, no one should complain, because the government wants to reduce the number of Corona patients to below 1,000 people per day, and if possible to 0%, aka no one else is infected with this evil virus. Restrictions on community mobility have proven to be able to control the ferocity of Corona so that many are healthy and safe from the threat of this dangerous disease.
Imagine if PPKM was stopped just like that, even though the number of Corona patients had dropped dramatically, I feared that the number would rise again and be out of control. The reason is because when there are no restrictions on mobility, there will be euphoria because many miss vacations and finally boom! Cases exploded again and the number of patients skyrocketed, the worst possible case being mass deaths like the one in India.
We certainly don’t want those nightmares to come true, do we? Therefore, deal with the extension of the PPKM fairly and rest assured that if the situation is 100% safe, this program can be stopped and we can resume activities as usual (by adhering to health protocols). Obey all rules when PPKM is enforced, both in areas with levels 1,2,3, and 4.
Moreover, in this period PPKM the rules were slightly relaxed so that the community felt relieved. We can dine in again at the restaurant even though the capacity is still limited, a maximum of 50% of visitors. However, the minimum is no longer limited by a maximum meal duration of 20 minutes, so you can enjoy the dish without rushing or fearing choking.
In addition, entrepreneurs are also grateful that the Mall is allowed to open again until a maximum of 9 pm. They can survive the threat of bankruptcy because there are visitors in the shops inside the Mall. But of course by complying with health protocols and those who may enter must have been vaccinated up to 2 times.
PPKM is not a prison for the community, but a program made so that all of us are safe from the dangers of Corona. This program has proven effective in controlling the transmission of the Covid-19 virus and reducing the number of patients in Indonesia, as well as reducing the death rate from this dangerous disease.
Therefore, it is natural that the PPKM is still extended for the next week, because the government wants Corona to be more controlled and the number of patients to drop dramatically. If you can, it’s up to 0% or no one will be infected by the Covid-19 virus. Let’s obey PPKM so that this program is successful.
(The author is a citizen living in Depok)