Consider Taking Lockdown Steps Due To COVID-19

Discussion regarding COVID-19, in Jakarta, Saturday 14 March. (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) provides recommendations to every country, especially countries with large populations, including Indonesia. WHO advises the Indonesian government to establish a national emergency. The goal is to suppress local transmission and prevent the wider spread of the corona virus or COVID-19.

Deputy IV for Political Communication and Information Dissemination at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Juri Ardiantoro, said that currently the government has received a recommendation letter from WHO. This recommendation will be a consideration for the government in taking steps to handle COVID-19.

"My government has measures and policy steps that must be measured carefully. For example, demands or calls to establish this outbreak as an extraordinary situation (KLB) or for example other demands to lock down certain areas," he said, during the Polemic discussion. , Hotel Ibis Tamarin, Central Jakarta, Saturday, March 14.

However, regarding the lockdown, the jury said the decision had to be measured by the extent of its urgency. This is because there are many things that the government must count and pay attention to.

The jury said the government was very serious about handling the COVID-19 outbreak. The government is also very prepared and has sufficient human resources (HR) to handle this outbreak.

"Therefore, with the issuance of Presidential Decree number 7 of 2020, of course the acceleration of handling COVID-19 is to accelerate what has been done so far. So it has not been done, but has done, but of course it must be accelerated," he said.

Meanwhile, Member of Commission IX Saleh Daulay urged the government to consider the lockdown option. The government, he said, could study comprehensively by conducting analytical and academic studies related to this option.

"Why (need a lockdown)? Because there is an expert from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia who I think is a virologist, only three doctorates are related to this, and I believe, he said Indonesia must be locked down immediately," he explained.

Saleh said the lockdown option was needed. Because, that's the only way Indonesia can later mitigate properly, trace and then detect the development of the spread of COVID-19. According to Saleh, with the current condition, the mobility of tourists from abroad and to Indonesia is still very free.

"Actually there is nothing to lose if the lockdown is carried out, the important thing is that the government's preparation is increased. Italy is doing it, the Philippines is doing it in Manila City. So it should be fine if the lockdown is limited, it will be the task of the experts to decide together with the government. , "he said.

According to Saleh, areas that need to be considered for lockdown are areas with a high number of COVID-19 infections. Among them, Jakarta and Bali.

Difficult Things

On the other hand, the Expert Council of the Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (AKMI) Hermawan Saputra said that the implementation of this lockdown becomes difficult when, for example, the DKI Jakarta Government decides to lock down, the surrounding areas do not necessarily do the same thing.

Moreover, he said, the number of connecting cities for Jakarta is not small, including Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. Where these regions have different provinces.

"Who can screen Bekasi people from Depok to Jakarta or not? It's different if we are on an island like Bali, for example, we do not expect that in Bali there will be a big incident, but if in an archipelago like that we are easier to lockdown. But this is Jakarta. , "he said.

Hermawan said, because there are many sub-city areas that are attached to Jakarta, the regional government has not taken the lockdown decision.

"So I see that the governor is careful about implementing a lockdown. He will make this contact tracing effective first. With the map of the incident, it is the right step," he said.