How Are The Care For Protecting Applications, Is It Effective In Reducing The Spread Of COVID-19?

JAKARTA - Various ways have been done by the government to prevent the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19 in Indonesia. One of them is through the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) which released the PeduliLindung application, some time ago. But is this application effective?

VOI had a chance to talk with the Executive Director of the ICT Institute as well as Multimedia and IT Observer Heru Sutadi. To us, Heru said that he or many people had not felt the benefits of the application which was claimed to reduce the number of spread of COVID-19.

"This application is also used in other countries such as Singapore and South Korea. However, the benefits are not felt and only invite people to download and install, but breaking the COVID chain does not work because there is no connection with national data and it is said that we go to the zone area. red or yellow zone will receive notification, "Heru told VOI, Thursday, June 11.

Heru explained that the application of this system made by Kominfo was a little late from the start. The non-integration of user data who has registered with patient data also does not operate properly.

"We will not know that other people have COVID-19 with the application, but rather (do or go through) rapid tests and swab tests," Heru said.

Not to mention the many overlapping regulations, as if the user identity data stored in this application is retroactive. One example of this is the Entry and Exit Permit (SIKM), as a result the monitoring system of the PeduliLindung application is not effective.

Because, users of this application can be in certain zones without a warning from PeduliLindingi. According to Heru, it is unfortunate if this application will only display warning notifications or just information to comply with health protocols.

"The problem is there. The green zone alone may not be green, but yellow or red. The data is imprecise. Not to mention that those of us who also don't want to share data and official agencies must also enter data in real time. open time and real time data but the test results were five days ago. There was even data 12 days ago because the PCR test results were slow, "Heru explained.

The same thing was conveyed by observer and technology expert Teguh Prasetya, who said that the PeduliLindung application could not be a reference to reduce the spread or monitoring of COVID-19. Plus there is still a lack of socialization and public understanding to activate this kind of application.

So it is not surprising, if the number of alertness and public awareness of this disease gradually decreases. As a result, this application will only be a tool specifically for patients under surveillance (PDP) or people under surveillance (ODP) for COVID-19.

"This application is only a supporting tool to monitor and provide alerts, of course there are also many limitations that exist there, so it cannot be the only reliable way to prevent the spread of COVID-19," Teguh said.

Meanwhile, Kominfo recently also plans to add new features to the PeduliLindung application, one of which is an e-certificate resulting from a swab or rapid-test.

"In the future, we will enter the e-certificate, if it has been swab or rapid-test, then input it into the QR Code Caring for Protection," said Kominfo Director General of Post and Information Administration (PPI) Ahmad M. Ramli, in a webinar broadcast via the Kominfo Youtube channel. recently.

Ramli explained, this would make it easier for the community if they wanted to travel outside the city or use an airplane, by only showing the certificate of having carried out a COVID-19 test in the application.

However, according to Heru, SIKM is not easy to find even though it is in digital form because it often experiences problems with its servers. Even though this should be easy to obtain.

"Then, with the application, who enters the data? How long will the data be entered? Because the valid period of rapid test or PCR is only a few days. If you enter the application, care for protection, is it limited for domestic. How about traveling abroad? Hardcopy is requested, including in the destination country as well as hardcopy, "explained Heru.

Meanwhile, Heru hopes that the application language can be used if all tests are done free of charge, so the results can be seen in the application.

"Meanwhile, if you pay, you already use your personal pocket, you want quick results to be obtained and used for traveling conditions. So in order not to be in vain, all conditions must be considered and considered first," he added.