PPKM Micro Policies That Are Instead Criticized By Epidemiologists

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JAKARTA - The government implemented a micro-limitation on community activities (PPKM) on Tuesday, February 9.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto explained the various rules for implementing PPKM in a micro-way that were different from the previous PPKM policies. However, based on existing explanations, it turns out that there is some relaxation in several sectors.

For example, in the first and second Java-Bali PPKM, 25 percent of people who work in the office and the rest work from home, aka WFH. Meanwhile, in the Micro PPKM, 50 percent of the people who work in the office are from home.

"The WFH office limits are 50 percent with strict health protocols. Teaching and learning are still online," said Airlangga in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of BNPB Indonesia, Monday, February 8.

Then, easing also occurs during operating hours or shopping centers or malls. If in Java-Bali PPKM the first and second stages of the mall are open only until 20.00, at Micro PPKM the mall can open until 21.00.

"Then the activities of restaurants and malls, eating and drinking with dine-in about 50 percent," he said.

This 50 percent rate is certainly different from the previous PPKM policy. At the stage that took place from January 11 to January 25 which was later extended to February 8, the number of visitors to restaurants or malls was limited to 25 percent.

This provision, said Airlangga, was enforced at the regency, city, village and urban village levels. The hope is that with the implementation of this Micro PPKM, positive cases of COVID-19 can be suppressed and the curve of transmission can be predicted.

"Of course the goal of this Micro PPKM is to suppress positive cases and mark the curve as a precondition for success in handling COVID-19 and for national economic recovery," he explained.

The community is asked to pay attention to zoning in the RT environment

Despite the relaxation in a number of sectors, the Director General of Regional Administration of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Syafrizal warned of restrictions on entry and exit hours in RT (neighbourhood unit) areas that fall into the red zone.

The Ministry of Home Affairs asked the public to pay attention to the zoning of their residential place during the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM).

He then gave an example for people who want to go to a shopping center or mall. According to him, although the mall's operating hours will last until 21.00 WIB, people who live in RT with red zones should return home before 20.00 WIB.

"Yesterday there was a question, for example the mall was open until 9:00 p.m. for the answer, now if the RT is red, you can no longer enter it at 8:00 p.m. and above," he said in an online press conference broadcast on BNPB's YouTube account, Monday, February 8.

"So people who go to the mall will immediately go home, otherwise they can't enter the RT again. So yes, there is still a reduction," he added.

There is also this policy to provide a balance between one RT and another. Where those with green zones will continue to implement proper health and surveillance protocols. "Meanwhile, the red ones were given quite harsh measures. So there was a balance in the handling process," he explained.

It is known, in this micro-scale PPKM there are criteria for area control zones down to the RT and RW levels. Regions that will implement this micro PPKM are regions in 7 provinces that have implemented PPKM such as DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Banten, DI Yogyakarta, and Bali.

The zoning criteria in question are divided into green zone, yellow zone, orange zone and red zone.

PPKM Micro policy was criticized

Epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman highlighted and criticized the Micro PPKM policy that would be implemented by the government. According to him, at the beginning he saw the government's policy to impose micro-restrictions as appropriate, but when he learned of the easing he considered it a contradiction in terms.

In addition, he also assessed that the zoning system policy implemented by the government needs to be reviewed again. The reason is that regional zoning has not paid attention to the positivity rate indicator.

"So if the indicators for tightening or loosening are not there, the zoning will not be correct. So this must be reviewed. Why, because it could be that the green zone is not the green zone," said Dicky when contacted by VOI.

Furthermore, he also assessed that Indonesia was still unable to carry out the zoning sorting that would be implemented in the Micro PPKM. Because, the current condition of transmission is so massive at the community level.

"Actually, we are still unable to sort it out like that. Not yet. Including the 8:00 pm limitation that night," he said.

Even if the government implements the PPKM Micro policy, what must be done is to add more tightening. So, the transmission of the virus in the community can really be suppressed without the need for lockdowns.

"It should be strengthened, there should be no easing for the WFH, the restaurant. The aim is to prevent people from potential gathering. The office is the same. Because this cannot be locked down, so we do this restriction, but it is not loosening nor does it stop economic activity and does not neglect prevention," he concluded.