By: Vania Salsabila Pratama )*
An increase in Covid-19 cases has occurred, this is of course a separate warning for all elements of society. Of course the Enforcement of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) is still being enforced ahead of the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year celebrations.
Government spokesperson for handling Covid-19, Reisa Broto Asmoro, said that his party hopes that in facing the Christmas and New Year holidays, they will remain in good and conducive conditions. That is why PPKM is still in effect.
Reisa said the PPKM regulations were in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Home Affairs (Inmendagri) Number 50 of 2022 for Java and Bali and also the Inmendagri Number 51 of 2022 for outside Java and Bali.
He said, PPKM level 1 was implemented from 6 December 2022 to 9 January 2023.
Although referring to indicators of community transmission and comparing them to national response capacities assessed by the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Case incidence is still at level 1.
On December 14, 2022, incident cases were recorded at 5.36 per 100,000 residents per week. So community transmission is still at level 1. Then, hospitalization is 0.91 per 100,000 population per week. Then the death rate of 0.07 per 100,000 population is still at level 1.
However, Reisa said that testing still had to be improved. With a testing response capacity of 6.24% per positivity rate per week, this is a limited response capacity, in which case the number of tests that must be carried out must be increased.
Reisa explained, related to tracing with a ratio of 11.00 close contacts per week is a moderate response capacity. However, the treatment of 8.07 BOR per week is adequate.
In addition, Reisa also reminded people who want to take a vacation during Nataru to continue to use the Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) guidelines.
Of course, it is again recommended to all people who want to carry out various activities while on vacation to choose a location to stay or do activities with CHSE guidelines that guarantee cleanliness, health and environmental sustainability.
Previously, Vice President (Wapres) Ma’ruf Amin had ensured that the level of implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) ahead of the 2023 Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holidays had not been raised. Ma’ruf said that PPKM is still level 1.
Ma’ruf Amin said, based on a report from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), the peak of the new XBB variant , which is a sub-variant of Omicron, has passed.
In fact, the Vice President continued, currently the trend of Covid-19 cases has started to decrease. However, he also asked the public to remain vigilant, especially in an effort to maintain health protocols, even though there has been a decrease in cases.
Ma’ruf also encouraged the public to immediately complete their vaccinations, the second booster which has now started in the elderly to create community immunity.
On a different occasion, Siti Nadia Tarmizi as the Head of the Communication and Community Services Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Health emphasized that the level 1 PPKM policy in all regions of Indonesia was again extended.
Siti said that there was a possibility that in the future there would be no change in the PPKM Leveling policy at the Nataru moment. In addition, cases of Covid-19 due to the XBB and XBB1 variants are starting to decrease.
Nonetheless, the Covid-19 situation in Indonesia may change with the emergence of a new variant of the corona virus.
Siti said, the trend of Covid-19 cases probably in the next 1-2 weeks will not be as high as before. If you see this condition PPKM will be at level 1. So there will be no possible changes for Nataru. Unless a new sub variant later appears.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin as the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia revealed that the policy of tightening the health protocol during the PPKM period ahead of Nataru was immediately discussed in a cabinet meeting with President Jokowi.
In Nataru’s preparatory cabinet meeting. Jokowi also asked for updates on the development of Covid-19 in Indonesia. The development situation related to Covid-19 will influence the government’s decision on Nataru’s policy.
Data from the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 Daily Report reported that, until December 8 2022, several indicators related to the handling of Covid-19 over the last two weeks had decreased from 6362 to 3241.
However, the policy related to the implementation of level 1 PPKM is intended as an anticipatory step for the government in facing the Christmas and New Year holidays. So that community activities, both in places of worship and public facilities, do not become the center of the spread of the corona virus.
Of course, don’t let holiday moments become moments of increased transmission, so policies are needed in a measurable manner so that community activities can run well without causing clusters of transmission.
PPKM level 1 really needs to be implemented so that the incidence of Covid-19 can be reduced. Community activities during Nataru will of course cause crowds, so regulations are needed to regulate community activities during the Nataru holidays.
)* The author is a contributor to Nusantara Reading Room