PKS Asks Government To Determine Time Target For COVID-19 Control: Don't PPKM Weekly, People Are Troubled

JAKARTA - The central government announced that the implementation of the restriction on community activities (PPKM) level 4 was extended until August 16.

Member of the House of Representatives Commission IX Netty Prasetiyani Aher, asked the government to dare to determine a measurable period of limitation with a target time of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the government should no longer make people confused and embarrassed by the PPKM policy which continues to be added weekly.

"The determination of the PPKM policy within one week only makes people confused and confused, because they do not know how long the conditions will improve. The government should be bold and firm in setting a target time for controlling the pandemic until the situation improves," said Netty to reporters, Monday, August 9.

The PKS politician should have continued, the government as the manager of the state should be able to optimize all the resources under its authority to dare to say when the situation will improve. So, said Netty, the government can provide a sense of security and hope to the people.

"Reassure the public, that with the strategies and efforts made by the government, within the next three months. For example, conditions will improve and PPKM level 3-4 can be stopped. State what support is requested from the people so that the pandemic control strategy is successful," he explained.

If the government is not able to build a sense of security and hope in the people that the situation will improve, said Netty, then don't blame the people if PPKM is extended but the people ignore and don't care.

“The majority of current health indicators show that PPKM Level 3-4 is not optimal in controlling COVID-19 cases in various regions. The positivity rate and mortality rate are still consistently above 1,000," he explained.

The West Java legislator also questioned the effectiveness of the government's pandemic control measures and strategies. Considering that it has been more than one month since the implementation of emergency PPKM and PPKM levels 3 - 4, health indicators outside Java-Bali are still concerning.

Netty said the death rate outside Java-Bali also increased. Even on August 5, he said, the death rate in Lampung was higher than in Bali, the Special Region of Yogyakarta or Banten.

Netty also mentioned the low data on testing achievement outside Java-Bali which is still far below the WHO standard. For example, Lampung, West Nusa Tenggara, and Maluku, where the test ratio is only 0.9:1,000 residents per week.

"The target for testing is 400 thousand per day, but until now it has only been able to reach 200 thousand and that is even more concentrated in Java-Bali. Don't let the COVID-19 cases there be like ashes in the husks," said Netty.

Regarding vaccination, he continued, it must also be based on public health so that the goal of achieving herd immunity is immediately achieved.

"Ensure the availability of vaccine stocks in the regions and prepare scenarios for anticipating vaccine shortages due to the emergence of the delta plus variant, which is commonly found in vaccine-producing countries," said Netty.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Pandjaitan, stated that PPKM level 4 was extended until August 16.

"Under the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, PPKM 4, 3, 2 will be extended until August 16, 2021," Luhut said in a live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel, Monday, August 8.

Luhut said the PPKM extension was carried out to maintain good momentum. He said the implementation of PPKM levels 2-4 had previously been going well.

"The implementation of the extension of PPKM levels 4, 3, and 2 which was implemented from August 2 to August 9 in Java-Bali showed quite encouraging results. From the data obtained, the decline occurred to 59.6 percent from the peak of cases on July 15, 2021 ago, " he said.