Handling COVID-19, Anies: Government Policy Is Useless If People Are Not Disciplined

The Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan. (Photo: Instagram @aniesbasewdan)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic requires harmonization between government policies and individual community steps. According to the former Minister of Education and Culture, all government policies in dealing with COVID-19 will be useless if they are not accompanied by individual discipline from the community.

In particular, said Anies, testing, tracing, and treatment or 3T. This policy must be accompanied by discipline in applying the 3M protocol, namely wearing masks, maintaining distance and washing hands in the community.

"This health crisis requires the right policies at the macro level and the right behavior at the micro level. (However, if only policies are not followed by micro behavior, then there is no result. On the other hand, if individual micro steps are successful, but there is no right macro policy, then the pandemic is difficult to control, "he said, at the opening of a virtual broadcast of the National Press Day convention, Monday, February 8.

Anies emphasized that handling the COVID-19 pandemic is different from dealing with natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions which are common in Indonesia. Therefore, he emphasized that both the community and the government must jointly take a role in handling it.

"An event (natural disaster) occurs, after that the impact is managed. This time it happens continuously. We don't know the end when and how. So that we can control it requires joint macro, policy, and micro, personal steps to occur," he said.

However, said Anies, before implementing it, the two parties must have the same awareness, equality of knowledge and proper understanding.

"Friends of the press have the opportunity to play the role of builders of awareness of everyone. Because this is what then emerged, how I wear a mask, keep my distance, wash my hands regularly will be greatly influenced by our understanding and today the media is a very important instrument. "he explained.

Furthermore, Anies said, all policies taken to deal with the current COVID-19 pandemic will be in the spotlight in the future. Because, historians will record it. Therefore, proper policies and implementation are needed.

"This is a very long event that will be remembered in history. I have repeatedly said that this pandemic has occurred in 100 years. Maybe in the future more often. Our steps today will not only concern us now, but this will concern historians in the future. They will come to visit at this time. The roles of each of us will be highlighted from the complete collected data, "he explained.