Putting Aside Sanctions Against The COVID-19 Vaccine, Anies: Only The Vaccines Are Limited

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan does not want to think about the imposition of sanctions from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government on residents who refuse to undergo COVID-19 vaccination. According to Anies, the current number of vaccines is still limited.

"Currently, the number of vaccines is still limited. Let alone those who want and do not want to do so, the vaccinations are limited," said Anies at Polda Metro Jaya, South Jakarta, Thursday, February 18.

Anies said he would carry out regulations regarding sanctions for residents who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine if the number of vaccines distributed meets the needs.

"Now there are still a few vaccines. Those who want to get vaccinated, it's easy. We will talk later when there are more vaccines than the population. That's roughly the logic," said Anies.

Currently, the COVID-19 vaccination, he continued, is just a government offering to protect the public from the corona virus.

"This vaccine is just the beginning. So, at this time we are offering it. If it is offered, it will be taken or not. So, we are in the inviting phase in the hope that this can help prevent exposure in places where there is a lot of interaction," said Anies .

A different statement was expressed by Deputy Governor of DKI, Ahmad Riza Patria. According to Riza, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Presidential Decree No. 14/2021 where in Article 13A paragraph (4), people who have been designated as vaccine recipients but did not participate in vaccination will have their social assistance postponed.

Plus, DKI has Regional Regulation Number 2 of 2020 regarding the response to COVID-19. In Article 30, it is stated that every person who deliberately refuses to receive treatment and / or vaccination for COVID-19, will be punished with a maximum fine of IDR 5,000,000.

"We are a rule of law, the regional regulation regarding the control of COVID-19 has regulated anyone who refuses to be vaccinated, as long as he is registered, of course he will receive a fine of Rp. 5 million. On the other hand, Mr. the support of social assistance from the central government will be removed, "said Riza.

According to Riza, sanctions for rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine are important because the corona virus is different from other diseases such as smallpox, polio or measles which only affect oneself.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is different. If I refuse to be vaccinated, it will not only affect me, but also my wife, children, family parents, surrounding communities, even people who are far away because we interact," said Riza.