Curb COVID-19 Spread in Java

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Cemetery workers carry the coffin of a person who died from Covid-19 at Pondok Ranggon Cemetery, East Jakarta, Tuesday (12/5/2020). The World Health Organization says deaths in which the person was suspected of having Covid-19 must be included in the overall case count. Referring to this guideline, the number of fatalities due to Covid-19 in Indonesia is more than three times the number released by the government. The Jakarta administration has prepared two public cemeteries to bury bodies of Covid-19 patients, namely Pondok Ranggon Cemetery in East Jakarta and Tegal Alur Cemetery in West Jakarta.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed his subordinates to cut the spread of COVID-19 in Java within the next two weeks. Thorough assessment must be carried out before relaxing large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS— President Jokowi has instructed all relevant stakeholders to stay focused on curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the five provinces of Java within the next two weeks, as the number of confirmed cases on the island accounts for 70 percent of confirmed cases nationwide.

Efforts to cut the spread will only be effective through mass testing and disciplined adherence to social distancing rules.

Read also: Anticipating New COVID-19 Epicenters

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reminded countries that relaxing quarantine or social distancing rules must be carried out with extreme prudence. Just because COVID-19 cases are on the decline, it does not mean that the risk of infection is non-existent.

The President reminded of the importance of curbing COVID-19 cases in Java in a limited teleconference meeting on PSBB evaluation in Jakarta on Tuesday (12/5/2020). Besides Jakarta, the other five provinces in Java are West Java, Banten, Central Java, Yogyakarta Special Region and East Java.

“I ask the [COVID-19] task force to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is curbed effectively in Java’s five provinces, especially in the next two weeks. We have to use the opportunity we have until [Idul Fitri] effectively,” he said.

Java accounts for 70 percent of Indonesia’s confirmed COVID-19 cases and 82 percent of the country’s COVID-19-related deaths. Data from the government’s COVID-19 Task Force as of Tuesday showed that Indonesia had 14,749 confirmed cases, including 1,007 deaths.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Aerial photographs of cemetery workers burying a body of a COVID-19 patient at Pondok Ranggon Cemetery, East Jakarta, Tuesday (12/5/2020). The World Health Organization says deaths in which the person was suspected of having Covid-19 must be included in the overall case count. Referring to this guideline, the number of fatalities due to Covid-19 in Indonesia is more than three times the number released by the government. The Jakarta administration has prepared two public cemeteries to bury bodies of Covid-19 patients, namely Pondok Ranggon Cemetery in East Jakarta and Tegal Alur Cemetery in West Jakarta.

From East Java, it is reported that PSBB in Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Gresik, which has been in effect since 27 April, has been extended until 25 May. The province’s COVID-19 task force head Kohar Hari Santoso said the recent spike in the province’s confirmed COVID-19 cases was inseparable from the emergence of new clusters. In the first week since the first confirmed cases were announced in East Java on 17 March, only two clusters had been identified. Today, there are 57.

Disciplined adherence to social distancing rules and in monitoring people’s mobility will cut off the disease’s spread.

Experiences in West Sumatra and Bali show that two things must be done to cut the COVID-19 spread, namely mass testing and disciplined adherence to social distancing rules. Mass testing will provide a picture of the disease’s spread in communities. Disciplined adherence to social distancing rules and in monitoring people’s mobility will cut off the disease’s spread.

West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno and Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said this after the limited meeting led by the President.

Read also: The Dynamics of Policy Response to Covid-19

West Sumatra and Bali are both deemed to have been successful in cutting off the spread of COVID-19. West Sumatra imposes PSBB while Bali, despite PSBB’s absence, ensured discipline in its 1,493 customary villages under coordination with regency/city and provincial administrations.

PSBB relaxation

In the limited meeting on Tuesday, President Jokowi also requested a thorough and detailed evaluation of the trends of COVID-19 cases. This is applicable not only for regions with PSBB policy but also those without.

“PSBB relaxation must be done carefully and not hurriedly. All information are based on data and field implementation. We must be careful about relaxing the PSBB,” the President said.

Before deciding on relaxing PSBB, government COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo said that four phases were being prepared. The first phase is calculating the impacts of PSBB relaxation. The second is determining the right time to relax PSBB. Next is determining priority sectors that are to be relaxed. Last is coordination between regional and central governments.

Economist and former minister Tanri Abeng said the government be really careful in relaxing PSBB policies. Proper policy management that can cut off the spread of COVID-19 and restart the economy is necessary. Health, social affairs and economic policies must be in harmony,”

WHO warning

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sain in Geneva, Switzerland, that PSBB relaxation should be done extremely carefully. Despite the declining trend of COVID-19 cases, it does not mean that the disease has gone away.

Three matters must be tested before relaxing PSBB or quarantine policies. First is whether the spread of COVID-19 had been controlled.

Three matters must be tested before relaxing PSBB or quarantine policies. First is whether the spread of COVID-19 had been controlled. Second is the preparedness of the healthcare system in facing surges of COVID-19 cases after PSBB relaxation. Third is whether the health surveillance system can detect cases, conduct contact tracing and identify new cases.

Meanwhile, Padjadjaran University epidemiologist Dwi Agustian warned that the true infection rate could be estimated properly only if reported COVID-19 cases portrayed the actual situation. Public trust in the government’s data analysis will improve through aggressive, mass and properly-targeted COVID-19 testing.(NTA/INA/ADH/TAM/TAN/VAN/BRO/ETA/CAS/KRN)