Exodus Triggers Case Explosion in the Regions

The challenge of curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the regions is becoming increasingly complicated with the exodus of informal workers from urban areas to their hometowns.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

People wait for a bus at an interregional bus terminal in Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, Thursday (26/32020). Many residents of Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek), primarily low-wage workers Ike construction workers and traders, have decided to return to their hometowns as a result of the loss of their livelihood during the Covid-19 public health emergency.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- The absence of strict regulations prohibiting people from returning to their hometowns has created new problems in the regions. The close monitoring of people coming from areas with a high number of cases of COVID-19 is absolutely necessary.

Although the mobility of people between regions has generally declined and there has been an appeal not to participate in mudik (exodus), the movement of people to their hometowns is still happening. In Blora regency, Central Java, for example, until Thursday (26/3/2020), every night around 20 buses were seen carrying people from Jakarta and surrounding areas.

To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Blora regency administration routinely checks the health of intercity bus passengers that travel between provinces. Buses are also disinfected. The health checks were carried out in Kunduran, which borders Blora and Grobogan.

Every night around 20 buses were seen carrying people from Jakarta and surrounding areas.

The same thing was done in Surabaya, East Java. Passengers who arrive at airports, ports, terminals and stations in Surabaya must undergo body temperature checks and they also walk through disinfectant chambers.

Also read : Exodus of Informal Workers Should be Anticipated

In Yogyakarta, the governor of Yogyakarta, Hamengku Buwono, instructed people from other regions entering Yogyakarta, including homebound travelers, to undergo health checks. They are all listed as people under monitoring (ODP) and must isolate themselves for a minimum of 14 days.

The governor added that the number of ODP in Yogyakarta is more than 1,000 people. The number is predicted to surge drastically because many migrants will return to the city. For this reason, village officials and members of the Indonesian Military (TNI)-National Police are asked to monitor the arrival of people.

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Ketapang Port workers disinfect motorcyclists in a special tent for all ferry passengers who have crossed from Bali to Java in Banyuwangi, East Java, Tuesday (24/3/2020). The measure has been implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, particularly during Nyepi, when many people decided to leave Bali.

Regarding the mobility of travelers, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan since early March has also appealed people not to go on mudik. The Jakarta administration is looking into the possibility of issuing regulations to prevent the mobility of travelers.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Tito Karnavian called on local administrations to ban people from going on mudik to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The central government is preparing the policy to limit the exodus. "If we can significantly reduce the number and frequency of homebound travelers, the volume of the exodus from Greater Jakarta will be significantly reduced," said Tito.

Also read : Protect Medical Workers

Public policy analyst from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahadiansyah, believes that the government must immediately issue the ban on mudik and recreational travel so that there will be no physical meetings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To support this policy, the central government needs to collaborate with the regional administrations, the private sector and the public.

He urged the Home Ministry not only to make an appeal but to issue a strict policy.

In an online discussion in Jakarta, secretary-general of the Indonesian Doctors Association, Adib Khumidi, said delayed isolation or quarantine and monitoring of suspected patients could cause COVID-19 to continue to spread.

The call for self-isolation without law-enforcement and sanctions, according to him, failed to stem the flow of people leaving Greater Jakarta. Many travelers carry the virus because many of the infected people only show mild symptoms or even asymptomatic.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Passengers wear face masks as they wait to board trains for Central Java and East Java at Pasar Senen Station, Jakarta, Wednesday (25/3/2020). It is feared that the movement of Jakarta residents to their places of origin will further spread the Covid-19 outbreak.

Volunteer doctors

The number of people that had tested positive for COVID-19 in Indonesia as of midday yesterday reached 893 cases with 78 deaths. As many as 35 patients recovered.

The government spokesman for the handling of Covid-19, Achmad Yurianto, said that the spread of the disease had also expanded from 24 provinces to 27 provinces.

The government needs at least 1,500 doctors, consisting of lung specialists, anesthesiologists and general physicians, and at least 2,500 nurses

Chairperson of the University of Indonesia Alumni Association, Andre Rahardian, said the increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 and the number of patients being treated had overwhelmed the number of health workers.

The number of personal protection gears is now sufficient. But, currently, the government needs at least 1,500 doctors, consisting of lung specialists, anesthesiologists and general physicians, and at least 2,500 nurses and administrative officers to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Andre, his side has collaborated with many health institutions and organizations in Indonesia to volunteer. In fact, many final-year medical students are called to volunteer.

Meanwhile, the research and innovation related to the handling of COVID-19 will be developed in an integrated manner. Research and Technology Minister/head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said the government had formed a research and innovation consortium to support the acceleration of the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

(ETA/BRO/HRS/DNE/ DIT/REK/PDS/BOW/NAD/ AGE/TAN/IDO/AIK/DAN)