Vaccine Certificate Becomes A Mall Entrance Requirement, APPBI: 85 Percent Of Malls Ready To Use QR Code To Screen Visitors

Illustration of a mall in Jakarta. (Wikimedia Commons/Jonathan McIntosh)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) said that 85 percent of malls in DKI Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya were ready to use QR Codes to screen visitors for COVID-19 vaccination.

As is known, the government has begun to allow shopping centers or malls to operate in a number of cities for trials, although it is still implementing the Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) implementation.

There are several conditions that must be met by the public if they want to visit a shopping center, ranging from a COVID-19 vaccine certificate to a PeduliLindung account.

Chairman of APPBI Alphonzus Widjaja explained, of the total malls, there are still 15 percent who are preparing to compile barcodes. However, he ensured that this process would continue to be accelerated and matured, so that it complies with regulations and does not cause virus transmission.

"The problem with the preparation of shopping centers is currently in four cities, Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya, on average there are 85 percent of shopping centers that are ready. Because producing a QR Code takes time, so it can't be done in a short time," he said. , in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, August 11.

Alphonzus admitted that in preparing for the opening of malls in the midst of the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) based on level, there were several obstacles. One of them is the need for additional human resources (HR).

Not only that, said Alphonzus, compiling a QR Code also takes a long time. This is because the QR Code provided must be in large quantities. Because each mall has enough entrances, there are many, while the code must be different.

Furthermore, Alphonzus said, the QR Code provided must also be connected to the website of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), to ensure vaccine certificate data.

"There is one shopping center that has up to 70 doors, so 70 different QR codes must be made," he said.

However, he said his party did not want to be careless and in a hurry to open shopping activities. The whole concept of security and health protocols must be finalized first, to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in shopping centers.

"Get ready first, rather than open with conditions that are not ready. Because later the Ministry of Trade can close it," he said.

As is known, the government has started to allow shopping centers to operate in a number of cities, with a number of requirements amid the implementation of PPKM Level 4. A total of 138 shopping centers and malls in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya have begun to open with health protocols.

The trial period will last for one week, from 10 to 16 August 2021. The trial implementation refers to the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs No. 30 of 2021 concerning the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities Level 4, Level 3 and Level 2 in the Java and Bali Regions.