The COVID-19 Task Force Called Communities Compliant And Supported The Vaccination Program

Coordinator of the Expert Team and Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito. (Photo: Doc. BNPB)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Task Force (Task Force) Handling COVID-19 Wiku Adisasmito said the community is currently obedient and fully supports the vaccination program to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

So, he considered, the sanctions previously regulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 14/2021 do not need to be implemented.

"In the meantime, the public is still obedient and supports the vaccination program so that fines or administrative sanctions do not need to be applied", Wiku said in a press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, February 18.

Even so, if later there are people who are stubborn and refuse to be vaccinated, administrative sanctions will be imposed and can be carried out by the relevant ministries and agencies, local governments, and/or agencies in accordance with their respective authorities.

"However, it must be remembered that this rule is the last option if persuasive steps are not effective and significantly hamper the vaccination plan to generate community immunity", he said.

Previously reported, the Spokesperson for Covid-19 Vaccination from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Siti Nadia Tarmizi confirmed that residents who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine will receive sanctions.

Sanctions can range from a maximum of 1 year in prison to a fine of between IDR 500 thousand to IDR 5 million with reference to Presidential Decree No. 14 of 2021 and Law No. 4 of 1984 concerning Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases.

"That there are several sanctions including sanctions for postponing social assistance, postponing administrative proceedings, even if we connect with the Plague Law there will be several sanctions including, for example, imprisonment for a year or six months or a fine of IDR 5 million to IDR 500 thousand", said Nadia in an online press conference, Monday, February 15th.

It is known, President Jokowi has issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 14 of 2021 concerning Amendments to Presidential Regulation Number 99 of 2020 concerning Vaccines Procurement and Implementation of Vaccinations in the Context of Combating the Corona COVID-19 Pandemic.

This regulation regulates the procurement of vaccines and the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination and was promulgated on February 10.

This Presidential Regulation states that the sanctions for citizens who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are regulated in Article 13A paragraph (4) of Presidential Decree Number 14 of 2021. Written in this article:

(4) Every person who has been designated as a target recipient of the COVID-19 Vaccine who does not participate in the COVID-19 Vaccination as referred to in paragraph (2) may be subject to administrative sanctions, in the form of:

a. postponement or termination of the provision of social security or social assistance;

b. suspension or termination of government administration services; and/or

c. ransom.

These sanctions will later be applied by ministries, agencies, local governments, or agencies in accordance with their respective authorities.

However, not only administrative sanctions, those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine will also be subject to sanctions under the applicable law. This is written in Article 13B.

"Every person who has been designated as a target recipient of the COVID-19 Vaccine, who does not participate in the COVID-19 Vaccination as referred to in article 13A paragraph (2) and causes obstruction to the implementation of the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, in addition to being subject to the sanctions as referred to in article 13A paragraph ( a) may be subject to sanctions in accordance with the provisions of the law on outbreaks of infectious diseases", the article stated.