By: Aulia Hawa )*
Covid-19 cases in Indonesia currently tend to increase even though they are within safe limits. The public is advised not to panic but still anticipate by always obeying Prokes and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
We have been living the pandemic for more than 2 years and we are grateful that currently the number of patients is still stable, and last month it was still around 300 per day. However, since the beginning of June 2022 there has been an increase to 500 patients per day. Actually, this is not surprising because after the holiday there is always an increase in the number of Corona patients, because there is mass movement, but it is still within safe limits.
Rahmad Handoyo, Member of Commission IX DPR RI stated that the use of masks and adherence to health protocols must be tightened. The reason is because the cases of Covid-19 are rising again. This incident is not only in Indonesia but also in Indonesia
United States and other countries. In a sense, the health crisis occurs globally so that people must be more vigilant.
Indeed, some time ago the government began to loosen regulations by allowing people not to wear masks, provided that they do outdoor activities and there are not many people. However, with conditions like this, it is better to wear a mask, both inside and outside the room. This is to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 which is thought to be due to a new variant.
Currently, masks are cheap and can be obtained easily, even on the roadside. Wearing a mask will not make you short of breath because people have actually been used to wearing it for 2 years. Don’t forget to bring a spare mask when traveling because the effectiveness of the mask is only a maximum of 4 hours.
The use of masks needs to be encouraged again because children have gone to school as usual, and teachers must remind everyone to wear masks. Moreover, children under the age of 6 years have not been vaccinated. School teachers are expected to continue to supervise their students so that they are orderly to wear masks while at school.
Meanwhile, the public is also advised to comply with other points in the health protocol, especially social distancing. How sad it is when someone thinks that the pandemic is over and then holds a big celebration, which obviously makes a crowd. Especially after Eid, usually many get married and immediately have a party, even though guests should be at a maximum of 50% of the building’s capacity if they obey the protocol.
Eid al-Adha will soon be approaching and it is very vulnerable because the process of slaughtering and cutting meat can be prone to crowds. Therefore, for prevention, the slaughter should be held in a slaughterhouse. Meanwhile, the committee will directly deliver the meat so that people don’t have to queue.
Another health protocol that is prone to be violated is reducing mobility. Indeed, we cannot just stay at home until the pandemic is over. However, you should only leave the house when absolutely necessary, such as for work, college, or school. Reducing mobility is actually not that difficult because you can shop online and there are many couriers who help with the delivery of goods.
Adhering to health protocols is mandatory and cannot be underestimated. The reason is because the general public does not know which of the many people with OTG status (people without symptoms). So easy to spread Corona.
In an effort to contain the spread of Corona, the public is advised to always obey the points in the health protocol. Don’t be lazy to wear a mask and don’t be in crowds, because who knows among many people there are mild symptoms of Corona. The pandemic is still not over and everyone must be disciplined in implementing the process.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute