By: Junaedi )*
The government implements the Implementation of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in order to suppress community mobility. With these restrictions on mobility, the spike in Covid- 19 cases is expected to subside soon.
The spike in the number of Covid- 19 transmissions in Indonesia has experienced a significant increase, this is exacerbated by the increasing number of deaths due to Covid- 19 in Indonesia which has attracted public attention on social media. In 2 consecutive days, the number of Covid- 19 deaths in Indonesia reached the highest number in the world, overtaking India and Brazil.
On July 11, 2021, it was reported that there were 36,197 new confirmed cases of corona positive in Indonesia, which brought the total number of Covid- 19 infections to 2,527,203 cases. In addition, 1,007 new deaths were reported in a single day, which is the highest number of deaths worldwide.
We also cannot close our eyes, that the addition of Covid- 19 cases continues to increase with the addition of cases up to 13,112 in just one day. Some hospitals have even opened emergency tents to accommodate patients who cannot enter the emergency room.
Looking at the data, of course, policies are needed that can reduce the spread of Covid- 19, one of which is the policy for the Implementation of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). This is due to the sharp increase in the number of Covid- 19 transmissions .
The Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Moeldoko said from the data he obtained from the implementation of the Emergency PPKM it had been running effectively. Because it can reduce people’s mobility by 30 percent. According to Moeldoko, Emergency PPKM can only be called successful if it is able to suppress community mobility by more than 50 percent.
Based on government monitoring, the current level of community mobility during the Emergency PPKM period is still relatively high, only decreasing by more than 30 percent, even though PPKM is considered successful if the emphasis on mobility is above 50 percent.
Therefore , referring to the data, Moeldoko said the government would continue to strengthen the implementation of this Emergency PPKM, by involving the TNI and Polri. It was done to discipline the public on mobility and health protocols.
The former TNI Commander explained that the government decided to implement this Emergency PPKM. One of the considerations was the existence of a delta variant which is a new variant of Covid- 19 in which the variant has a very fast transmission rate . So the government took precautions at the beginning by limiting the movement of people.
He said, the government decided to implement this Emergency PPKM as one of the considerations because the new variant of Covid- 19, namely Delta, had a very fast transmission . So the government took precautions at the beginning by limiting the movement of people.
Seeing the high mobility of the people and the spread of a new variant, namely the delta variant, the government needs to pull the emergency brake. Moeldoko said that it was very difficult for the government to implement Emergency PPKM. This is because the impact will directly affect the community from economic factors. However, the government has no other choice.
Of course, this is a consequence where the impact on the community’s economy will be quite felt. But again, this is a difficult choice and the government must take in order to save the people.
It is known that the government has implemented Emergency PPKM from 3 to 20 July 2021. Now the government will also expand its coverage by implementing Emergency PPKM to outside Java and Bali.
Meanwhile, the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency claims that the implementation of Emergency PPKM is effective in suppressing the mobility of citizens. This can be seen from the traffic volume which has decreased drastically during the Emergency PPKM period which has been implemented since July 3, 2021.
Then, the number of daily passengers on urban transportation also decreased significantly by 46.28 percent. During the Emergency PPKM period , the government did limit a number of community activities. Where all public spaces are closed until the 100% work from home (WFH) rule for non-essential and non-critical offices. Not to mention the operational and number of public transport passengers in DKI Jakarta which are also limited. Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria has warned many times, so that people can stay at home and reduce mobility.
Emergency PPKM does have an impact on various sectors, however, mobility must be limited to prevent the transmission of Covid- 19, which is currently showing a high spike in cases.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute
