COVID-19 Cases Continue To Rise, DPR Asks The Government To Strictly Observe Regulations For Large-Scale Activities

Illustration of a large-scale activity (Photo by Maria Diva Roswita on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives has asked the Government to strictly enforce restrictions on large-scale activities following the increase in COVID-19 cases. The government is expected to anticipate the spread of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants which have already begun to be found in many regions.

"The DPR's Commission IX encourages the government to strictly monitor the implementation of large-scale activities, especially with the current high number of additional COVID-19 cases in the country," said Member of Commission IX DPR, Arzeti Bilbina, Thursday, June 23.

The COVID-19 Handling Task Force has just issued Circular Letter (SE) Number 20 of 2022 which contains rules regarding the implementation of large-scale activities. Large scale here means the event is physically attended by more than 1,000 people at any one time.

For large-scale activities, the Government requires the activity actors to have received the COVID-19 booster vaccine or the 3rd dose of vaccine. Arzeti also hopes that the government will carefully monitor the new regulation.

"The government through the COVID-19 Handling Task Force and other relevant stakeholders must ensure that there are no violations of the rules of any large-scale activity, including all the rules for organizing other events, the committee must comply with," said the legislator from the East Java I electoral district.

Arzeti also reminded that children aged 6-17 who take part in large-scale activities must have received at least the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This is in accordance with the rules in the latest SE from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.

"Children under 6 years of age and people who cannot receive the vaccine due to special health conditions or comorbid diseases, we urge you not to attend large-scale activities to avoid potential transmission of COVID-19," said Arzeti.

“This is important as a precaution against the reoccurrence of the COVID-19 wave considering that the current spread of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants is quite massive. We have to make sure our children and families are protected from Corona," added the mother of three.

Although the addition of cases of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants is predicted to decline again after July, Arzeti said every prevention effort must be carried out optimally. Moreover, based on information from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, the increase in cases currently reaches 104% with the addition of more than a thousand cases in 6 consecutive days.

"The House of Representatives Commission IX also asks the Government to continue to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine, including boosters for the community. We must also accelerate the vaccination of children so that the community's immune system increases amid the increasing threat of the spread of COVID-19," said Arzeti.

The member of the Commission in charge of health affairs also asked the Government to reconsider the tightening of the COVID-19 restrictions. Arzeti said that the government also needs to ensure that all health facilities in the regions are ready in the event of a worst-case scenario that causes the emergence of a new wave of Corona.

"Screening must be tightened, and prepare mitigation steps if Covid-19 cases continue to creep up," he said.