Speaker Of The House Of Representatives Asks The Government To Review Planned Requirements For PCR Tests For All Modes Of Transportation

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the government to re-evaluate the mandatory PCR test as a travel requirement for all modes of transportation related to the anticipation of the increase in COVID-19 cases by the end of the year.

Apart from being too expensive, according to Puan, the government needs to reconsider health facilities in the regions. Because, he said, many regions do not have sophisticated equipment to carry out PCR tests, so they have to wait for the test results for days.

“Are health facilities in all regions qualified if the PCR test is a mandatory requirement in all modes of transportation? This must really be considered," said Puan in her statement, Wednesday, October 27.

The former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture hopes that the government will emphasize the discipline of public health protocols (prokes) to avoid the third wave of COVID-19, which is predicted to occur due to the long holiday at the end of the year.

Instead of adding to the burden on the people, Puan assessed that the tightening of screening, testing, tracing, treatment (3T) and good vaccinations was being intensified.

"However, if the government feels that it still needs additional policies to anticipate this Christmas and New Year holiday, it should not limit the downstream with PCR tests, but implement additional policies upstream," said Puan.

The PDIP politician assessed that the PCR test should still function as a COVID-19 diagnosis tool. Meanwhile, for screening, according to him, it is enough just to test the antigen plus the optimization of the PeduliLindung application.

“This PeduliLindung application was created to find out someone's status. This should be maximized, how the government is able to track suspected COVID-19 so they don't wander around until their status is back to green," said Puan.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries who is also the Coordinator of PPKM Java-Bali Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that gradually, the use of PCR tests would also be applied to other transportation during the anticipation of the Christmas and New Year periods.

Luhut asked the public not to be euphoric, which ended up ignoring all forms of existing health protocols.

"What we have achieved together today, of course, is not a form of euphoria that should be celebrated. The slightest negligence that we do will end in an increase in cases in the next few weeks and will certainly repeat the restrictions that have been imposed again," Luhut said.