By: Alula Khairunisa)*
Violations of health protocols (prokes) are currently rife, especially regarding the rules for wearing masks. Even though Indonesia is still in the status of a Covid-19 pandemic, so discipline towards Prokes is absolutely necessary to accelerate the transition from pandemic to endemic.
Covid-19 continues to mutate and give rise to new variants. In fact, the government has stated that the Covid-19 XBB Subvariant has been detected in Indonesia. The first case of XBB in Indonesia was a local transmission. This XBB variant was detected in a 29-year-old woman who had just returned from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. The emergence of this Covid-19 variant seems to remind all parties to always be careful because the Covid-19 pandemic is still happening.
During the pandemic, everyone is required to wear a mask and obey the prokes. But it turns out that there are still those who violate and are lazy to wear it. The community’s indiscipline in complying with health protocols made the officers disappointed and carried out more raids, for the sake of mutual security.
The Blitar City Satpol PP and the joint TNI-Polri Task Force Team are intensifying the implementation of judicial operations. The Head of Blitar City Police, AKBP Leonard Sinambela, stated that the operation was still being held, to implement community culture in implementing health protocols, especially wearing masks. Until now there are still residents who do not wear masks or use them incorrectly.
Judicial operations were carried out at crowded points in Blitar, as well as at the border. There is a check on outside residents who will enter Blitar City. People who commit violations will be dealt with verbally and in writing.
In a sense, even though the pandemic has existed for more than 2 years, there are still people who are not orderly and are lazy to wear masks. Even if you wear a mask, the position will sag so that it doesn’t cover your nose, so that when there is a raid, the officers will correct it. Masks also cannot be replaced with face shields because they cannot protect the body from droplets carrying the Covid-19 virus.
If there are violations, they will only be reprimanded verbally because they have not been included in the category of serious violations. However, when there are people who violate the health protocols in the severe category, for example holding a crowd event and no one keeps their distance and everyone takes off their masks, they will be severely reprimanded and fined. The nominal depends on local government policies, an average of Rp. 250,000.
Fines are imposed so that people are disciplined in obeying health protocols and as a deterrent effect. The problem is, if they are only given a verbal warning, they are afraid that they will repeat the mistake. Even though the prokes violation is very severe and can cause a new Corona cluster, and make the pandemic phase longer.
If the resident who commits the violation is the owner of a shop or other place where many people enter, then he or she can also be threatened with temporary closure of the place (14 days). Currently PPKM is still enforced even though the rules are more lenient. However, residents must also obey health protocols and a stall can only be entered at a maximum of 50% of capacity.
Meanwhile, in Sukabumi there are also frequent raids due to an increase in Corona cases. The Head of Public Relations, Head of Praja I Satpol PP West Java Province, S. Rachman, stated that increased supervision and enforcement were held to remind residents to continue to be disciplined in implementing health protocols. Corona is still there and even though the number of patients is small, it must be watched out for.
Surveillance and raids are held in public areas such as tourist attractions, because they have the potential to cause crowds. Visitors are advised to wear masks and maintain social distance. Meanwhile, the management of tourist attractions must provide hand washing facilities, and the capacity of visitors is limited so that they are not too full and in groups, for fear of creating a new Corona cluster.
Then, supervision is also carried out in schools in West Java, because they have held face-to-face learning (PTM). Don’t let any student get Corona and then spread it to others. To prevent transmission, random testing is carried out, so that it is absolutely certain whether the school is safe or temporarily closed because there are students who turn out to be positive for Corona.
The school also helps the performance of the Satpol PP and the Covid Task Force team by disciplining students, and they are required to wear masks, both inside and outside the classroom. Students are also advised to bring their lunch to make it more hygienic, and prevent crowds in the canteen during breaks.
Teachers are also required to be disciplined in health protocols and they must also wear masks. Do not even go around and remove the mask in front of the students, because they will be imitated. If necessary, regular testing is carried out to ensure that teachers, school principals and staff are negative for Corona.
Discipline in complying with health protocols must be improved in order to minimize the transmission of Corona anywhere, whether in tourist attractions, schools, restaurants, and other places. The public should have the awareness to wear masks without having to be afraid of officers’ raids. Remember that health protocols are made to protect citizens from Corona, so they must be obeyed.
When violations of health protocols increase drastically, it is very sad, especially when there are people who think the pandemic is over. Currently Covid-19 cases have dropped but the status is still a global pandemic. The public continues to be advised to wear masks and obey other points in the health protocol to be safe from Corona.
)* The author is a contributor to the Nusantara Reading Room
