By : Melati Sukma )*
The public supports the Government to take firm action against quarantine violators, especially after the discovery of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Indonesia. The implementation of strict sanctions is expected to provide a deterrent effect while preventing the increase in the number of positive cases of Covid-19.
Quarantine is an obligation for anyone who has traveled internationally, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has warned people who do not comply with this provision, will receive consequences.
This is regulated in the Circular of the Covid-19 Handling Task Force (Satgas) Number 25 of 2021 concerning International Travel Health Protocols during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Siti Nadia Tarmizi as Spokesperson for Covid-19 vaccination said that any violators of the quarantine provisions will be dealt with firmly. Nadia said that the lightest sanction was being returned to a quarantine area. Stricter sanctions will be implemented, which could be uncooperative.
The sanction refers to Article 14 of Law (UU) Number 4 of 1984 concerning Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases. The regulation states that those who deliberately hinder the implementation of the outbreak control will be threatened with a maximum imprisonment of one year and/or a maximum fine of Rp. 1,000,000.
The law also stipulates sanctions for parties who are negligent and result in disruption of the epidemic response. They face a maximum imprisonment of six months and/or a maximum fine of Rp. 500,000.
Nadia said that the imposition of sanctions also refers to Article 93 of Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning health quarantine. Belain said that people who do not comply with the quarantine are threatened with imprisonment for a maximum of one year and/or a fine of a maximum of Rp. 100 million. He said quarantine for Indonesian citizens could be carried out through two schemes. Both are utilizing facilities from the government or at their own expense. As for foreigners, quarantine costs will be borne by themselves.
However, there are certain conditions that make an exception. This has been regulated in the Circular of the Covid-19 Handling Task Force Number 25 of 2021 concerning International Travel Health Protocols during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period. Nadia said the exception was a life-threatening health condition.
Quarantine dispensation can also be granted to echelon one and above public officials. The dispensation is in the form of reducing the duration of self-quarantine. However, officials who carry out quarantine must still meet the requirements. First, it has a separate bedroom and bathroom for each individual international traveler.
Second, minimize contact during food distribution or eating activities. Third, do not make physical contact with other travelers who are in quarantine. Next, there are quarantine supervisors who are required to report quarantine surveillance. Finally, carry out the second polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the 9th day of quarantine and report the results to the local port health office (KKP) officer.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 National Spokesperson, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, emphasized that his party would not play around with quarantine violations. He said the Covid-19 Task Force would take strict action against anyone who violated the quarantine obligations.
Wiku said the current Covid-19 Task Force would continue to monitor the quarantine locations for foreign arrivals. This is done to prevent cases of escaping the mandatory quarantine from repeating itself.
In fact, he said that his party would not hesitate to bring the violators to justice. One of them is by returning the violator to a centralized quarantine area.
In a press release, Prof. Wiku said, “If you are not cooperative, sanctions will apply as stipulated in Article 14 of the Infectious Disease Outbreak Law and Article 93 of the Health Quarantine Law.
He also said that quarantine was important after traveling from abroad at a time like now. According to Wiku, this quarantine will be the key to success in preventing the importation of cases into the country, especially the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 case.
The Covid-19 Task Force also always reminds all Indonesian people to work together to prevent the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. He assessed that in addition to efforts to improve the handling of Covid by the government, public discipline would also affect the spread of the virus that attacks the respiratory system.
The Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet, so rules related to health protocols and quarantine for travelers from abroad must be implemented and violators so that they can be dealt with firmly, this is aimed so that confirmed cases in Indonesia do not experience a wave of increase like what happened. last July 2021.
)* The author is a student of Pakuan University, Bogor