The government must work quickly, but it must take caution and make considerations from various aspects if it plans to impose a limited quarantine or lockdown in regions.
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The government must work quickly, but it must take caution and make considerations from various aspects if it plans to impose a limited quarantine or lockdown in regions.The spread of the new coronavirus which causes COVID-19 is faster and more extensive. In the past five days, the number of people infected has nearly doubled, although the screening tests are still limited. As of Sunday (3/29/2020), there were 1,285 people infected, an increase of 130 people from the previous day. The number of the patients who died reached 114 people, with the number of the people having recovered totaling 64 people.
Until today, we don\'t have any vaccine for COVID-19. It is estimated that it will take about one year to get an effective vaccine. Although there are several drugs that can be used to treat patients, they are still in the clinical trial stage in several countries.
The sharp increase in the number of people infected in Indonesia shows that social and physical restrictions imposed by the government have not been effective. There is still a contact between people with the new coronavirus and healthy people. Workers in the informal sector have no other choice but to continue working. Likewise, a number of industries, especially labor intensive ones, are still operating.
Seeing the developments in the last 27 days and the experience of other countries, there should be stricter measures to cut off the chain of the virus’ transmission through social restrictions.
A number of health experts, including a professor at the School of Medicine of the University of Indonesia, has recommended that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo impose a limited quarantine in certain regions.
Jakarta has the largest number of people infected with this virus. The proposal to immediately to impose a limited lockdown in Jakarta, Tangerang in Banten, and Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java has been implemented by a number of parties. Preparations have also been made by the authorities, especially in limiting traffic from and to Jakarta.
Nevertheless, in imposing a regional quarantine as stipulated in Law No. 6/2018 on health quarantine, the central government must be responsible in providing the basic needs of the people and animal feed (and pets) in areas affected by the quarantine.
We do not want the virus’ transmission to be uncontrollable and further spread to other areas.
We do not want the virus’ transmission to be uncontrollable and further spread to other areas. The movement of people from one to another city and even within a city at present and before Idul Fitri must, therefore, be restricted.
In order not to cause public panic, information must be conveyed clearly and in a simple way. Sectors engaged in food, banking and finance, health, energy and information should be allowed to continue their activities. Food should be always available at a stable price and people are allowed to buy food, to go to health and financial facilities and to buy gas — especially liquefied petroleum gas — easily. The media should be exempted from such restrictions.
Assistance to vulnerable groups, including the middle class, must be prepared immediately. For industries that are forced to stop their activities, the assistance should be more concrete, such as a relaxation in paying electricity bills. In short, all parties must make every effort to stop the COVID-19 outbreak.