Because of inconsistent policies and an undisciplined public, COVID-19 is widespread.
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AHMAD ARIF/MARIA PASCHALIA JUDITH JUSTIARI/FABIO M. LOPES COSTA
·5 minutes read
HUMAS PEMDA BANYUWANGI
The Banyuwangi Covid-19 Handling Task Force Team conducted a review at Taman Blambangan Food Court, Banyuwangi, Sunday (21/6/2020). Because it was considered violating the health protocol, the food court was closed again after being allowed to open last week.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Because of inconsistent policies and an undisciplined public, COVID-19 is widespread. Now, the disease caused by the new coronavirus has hit 439 regencies/cities in all provinces in Indonesia, with the number of cases and casualties increasing.
According to Achmad Yurianto, the government spokesperson for COVID-19 affairs, many residents did not implement health protocols during Car Free Day in Jakarta on Sunday (21/6/2020). Similar situations were also found in a number of airports, particularly at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Riau Islands.
Yurianto said the implementation of health protocols, including hands-washing, keeping a distance and wearing masks, are an absolute prerequisite for resuming activities productively and safely. Therefore, people are expected to implement the health protocols as a way to adapt to new habits.
People are ignorant because there are no sanctions [for violators], other than being tired.
Nevertheless, the speakers, which were speaking at a discussion held by the Syndicate Forum, considered the current situation and attitudes of the public inseparable from the inconsistencies of government policies.
"The policies are unclear and rely on buzzers. People are ignorant because there are no sanctions [for violators], other than being tired," said Agus Pambagio, a public policy observer.
Giving an example, he said the govenment’s inconsistent policies included, among other things, the late decision to ban flights from China and other countries affected by the COVID-19 outbreak for the sake of tourism. Now, PSBB measures are being eased while positive COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
In fact, a protracted situation will put pressure on both the health and the economy.
A lecturer at the University of Indonesia\'s (UI) Public Health School, Iwan Ariawan, said the easing of the social restrictions was not based on scientific evidence, especially epidemiology.
"[The authorities] should explain that the easing [of social restrictions] was out of economic reasons, not because the [COVID-19] outbreak is under control. So, when people go out, they are careful and obey the health protocol," he said.
The World Health Organization has issued guidelines for countries to ease social restrictions. For example, before easing restrictions, a country should show indications that the outbreak had been under control for two weeks.
"In Jakarta, the situation was increasingly controlled, but restrictions cannot be completely eased. What would happen to other areas [when the outbreak has not been under control]?" Iwan said.
Another requirement is a testing rate of at least 1 person per 1,000 people per week.
"If we test many people and find many cases, it is dangerous. The safe requirement is we do massive testing and we find no cases," said Padjadjaran University epidemiologist Panji Fortuna Hadisoemarto.
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Based on data from the COVID-19 task force released on Sunday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia stands at 45,891, including the addition of 862 people. The number of fatalities was 2,465 people (including the addition of 36 people) and the number of recovered patients was 18,404 people, including the addition of 521 people.
COVID-19 transmission is widespread, including in traditional markets. According to the chairman of the Traditional Market Traders Association, Abdullah Mansur, as of June, as many as 701 vendors in 129 traditional markets had tested positive for COVID-19 and 32 vendors had died.
"The government has not yet focused on traditional markets," he said.
From the results of rapid tests at Paldam Market in North Jayapura district, Jayapura City, Papua, for example, 61 vendors were reactive for COVID-19.
Mansuri said the majority of market vendors had not installed plastic curtains or partitions at their stalls to separate them from customers. Hand-washing facilities have not been added.
A rapid test for traders from Cigombong Market, Jayapura City, on Saturday (20/6/2020).
On Sunday, the number of regencies/cities that had COVID-19 cases increased to 439 regencies/cities across the province. The spread of the outbreak was found after local authorities conducted tests on 18,229 samples, bringing the total to 639,385. The average number of people being tested per day was 8,647. A WHO report on the situation in Indonesia, which was released on June 17, said only
Jakarta had met the minimum number of tests per population. This was obtained from the number of tests and the level of average positive results in two weeks. The number of tests in Jakarta in two weeks is 25,771, a with positive result ratio of 9.5 percent.
The number of fatalities shows that hospitals are overwhelmed with the high number of cases.
In East Java, which has a population nearly four times that of Jakarta and has the most fatalities in Indonesia, the testing rate is very low. According to the East Java COVID-19 task force, the number of fatalities with confirmed status is 718 out of 9,444 people. The number of patients under treatment (PDP) who died was 828 people and 123 people under surveillance (ODP) have died.
In Surabaya, East Java, the number of fatalities of COVID-19 confirmed cases reached 348 people and that of PDP was three people. However, the data of the Online Hospital that was included in the task force’s tabulation shows the number of PDP in Surabaya who died was 676 people until this Sunday and that of ODP was 43.
Epidemiologist at Surabaya-based Airlangga University, Windhu Purnomo was worried that the number of cases in East Java would increase, especially if the social restrictions were eased and there were increasing community activities. In fact, the number of fatalities shows that hospitals are overwhelmed with the high number of cases.
