Hoax on Pandemic 2.0 and Lockdown Issues, DPR Members: Be Wise on Social Media, Don't Give Wrong Information

JAKARTA - Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) regrets the circulation of the issue of pandemic 2.0 and the 2023 lockdown which went viral due to a doctor's upload on social media. The reason is, this information makes people confused because it is conveyed by someone who has a health science background.

"That's why my advice is, be wise in using social media for anyone with an academic background, any degree with an academic background, please convey academic ones too. Health practitioners don't make mistakes and just provide information," said member of Commission IX of the DPR, Rahmad Handoyo, to journalists, Tuesday, September 12.

It is known that the upload of a health food practitioner and molecular epidemiologist named Dr. Tifauzia Tyassuma or Dr. Tifa has made social media busy. Because, he wrote that Pandemic 2.0 was actually moved forward to 2023 from the scheduled 2025.

The doctor also claimed that in a month or two Indonesia would experience another lockdown. This also includes work from home (WFH) rules and the use of masks. This is the result of increasingly severe air pollution and the latest variant of COVID-19, namely Eris, which has entered Indonesia.

Rahmad reminded that wrong information not only causes public unrest but also creates bad perceptions of the government. He also considered that Dr.Tifa's statement was something that could not be proven true. Because, a pandemic is a health disaster that cannot be planned for, let alone progressed as stated by the doctor.

"Even though many people laugh, when there is a pandemic, it is planned, let alone advanced, like an agenda that can only be planned. A pandemic disaster cannot be planned, let alone advanced at will," stressed Rahmad.

For this reason, the PDI Perjuangan Party Legislator for the Central Java Electoral District appealed to all parties not to carelessly convey information about the pandemic before having valid and accountable data.

According to him, the issue of pandemics and lockdowns is a sensitive issue where many people are still struggling to restore their economy and social life after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

"I need to remind you that information that is wrong but often repeated on social media can become something that is wrong but considered true. In the end, it is the people who become victims because of the wrong information, the losers are all of us," reminded Rahmad.

Apart from that, Rahmad also asked the government to educate the public so that they don't get disinformation and fall for rumors like this. Even though the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has denied Dr. Tifa's statement which is not based on data.

"The government must further intensify outreach and education to ward off hoaxes like this. "I also appeal to all Indonesian people to choose and sort out reliable information," said Rahmad