Time to Take Localized Approach to Control Epidemic

Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO

A police officer directs a van off the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road on Sunday (10/5/2020) at kilometer marker (KM) 31, near the Cikarang Barat exit gate in Bekasi regency, West Java. Police were diverting traffic to reduce the number of vehicles on the toll road.

The transmission of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, is now more prevalent in downtown Jakarta, unlike the first cases, which occurred mostly in the suburbs near the border with other cities. Therefore, now it needs localized measures, not a uniform measure.

The Center for Metropolitan Studies (Centropolis), a city planning and property institution at Tarumanagara University (Untar), revealed this in a recent report. Titled "The Shift in Epicenter, Escalation of Cases and the Hazards of Crowded Settlements", the report analyzes the pattern of Covid-19 transmission in Jakarta from 12 April to 12 May 2020.

"The first cases of Covid-19 were generally on the periphery like in South Jakarta, which borders Depok. However, since the PSBB [large-scale social restrictions] was imposed on 10 April, there was a shift in the increase [of confirmed cases] to subdistricts in the city center," Untar Centropolis urban expert Suryono Herlambang, who was also a member of the report’s research team, said on Saturday (16/05/2020) when contacted in Jakarta.

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Based on data dated 12 May 2020, the five subdistricts with the largest number of cases is Petamburan with 117 cases, Sunter Agung with 95, Kebon Kacang with 81, Pademangan Barat with 78 and West Kelapa Gading with 50 cases. There has been a general surge in cases since 18 April, eight days after the PSBB was imposed.

"The researchers faced hurdles in the field in investigating the cause of the new spikes and clusters of infection. However, the Jakarta provincial administration should know the reason for the surge in the five subdistricts," said Suryono.

Kompas

A composite of maps from Tarumanegara University’s Center for Metropolitan Studies (Centropolis Untar) shows how Covid-19 has spread in Jakarta from 25 March to 12 May 2020.

He appreciated the Jakarta administration for its daily updates on Covid-19 cases. In addition to the regularly released data, he said it would be better if the updates provided information on the distribution of clusters and named those subdistricts that were seeing a surge in cases or had more than 50 cases.

Data transparency was vital to mapping out the dynamics of the virus’ transmission. The map could used to develop a spatial approach down to the community unit (RW) level for each subdistrict. Suryono said that uniform instruction should not be given to those subdistricts listed among the 20 areas with the largest number of confirmed cases. Instead, specialized policies should be drawn up based on the local condition of each area.

"One alternative is to impose quarantines for those RW with the highest number of cases. Quarantine can also be imposed per village. Every subdistrict, village and RW can prepare [measures] based on the map of transmission," he explained.

Providing social assistance and Covid-19 testing were control measures. The map-based spatial approach was a preventive measure. The implementation of PSBB currently relied on the awareness of each individual community. Looking at the facts in the field, this was not enough. There must be specific measures for areas at risk.

Suryono said the government must look into whether the subdistricts with a high number of cases had a traditional market or other venues that could draw crowds and other public gatherings. The PSBB would be more optimal if the Jakarta administration could issue measures based on the level of alertness per subdistrict.

"It’s similar to the way we manage floods. The subdistricts on high alert for Covid-19 cases, of course, will have different management [measures] than other areas with a different alert status," he said.

KOMPAS/IRENE SARWINDANINGRUM

Suryono Herlambang, a city and real estate planning researcher and lecturer of Tarumanagara University, is seen in this photograph taken on 24 Aug. 2019 in Jakarta.

Permit

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on Friday issued Gubernatorial Regulation No. 47/2020, which imposes tighter restrictions on the movement of people in and out of Jakarta while the PSBB is in force. Workers in 11 sectors, including logistics and distribution, public service, telecommunications and health may still travel with a permit.

The permit the regulation refers to is not the one issued by the worker’s employer, and must be obtained through the corona.jakarta.go.id website. The employer’s permit is attached to the application for obtaining the travel permit from the Jakarta administration.

"We issue permits only for those [workers] proven to work in the 11 sectors. The permit will have a QR code that law enforcement officers can scan to prove its validity," said Anies.

KOMPAS/LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

A screenshot shows Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan speaking during the "Central and Regional Relations in Handling Covid-19" online seminar on 22 April 2020 in Jakarta.

Separately, 2019-2024 chairperson Diana Dewi of the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry confirmed that the chamber had proposed to the Jakarta administration to require a permit for anyone wishing to travel to and from the city. This was because many workers in the 11 strategic sectors lived outside Jakarta.

However, she did not agree that every employee should be required to obtain the permit from the Jakarta administration. A letter or statement from their employer should be sufficient. As a matter of fact, the employer’s statement would affirm that the company had government approval to operate during the PSBB.

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Diana said that requiring individuals to obtain a permit from the government would only prolong the bureaucratic process. Moreover, many companies were concerned that individuals could abuse the process for obtaining the permit.