Prevention Of The Spread Of COVID-19 Which Is Assessed As Constrained Because Of Foreign Languages

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The government has changed the appeal for social distancing or limiting social interaction to physical distancing or maintaining physical distance in order to prevent the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19. This change in mention was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD.

According to Mahfud, this change is based on the fact that the mention of physical distancing is felt to be more appropriate in its application in the community. This change in nickname, said Mahfud, would not change the existing policy.

Because, this change is actually based on the fact that social distancing is considered contrary to Indonesian culture and gives the impression of alienating harmony in the community.

"Yesterday it was agreed that social distancing does not seem good. Then there is the term physical distancing which is more advisable to use the term physical distance," Mahfud told reporters in a tele-talk, Monday, March 23.

As for physical distancing, it means keeping the distance between other people up to 1 meter. In addition, people also have to wash their hands and clothes that are used after meeting with other people.

Illustration (Ilham Amin / VOI)

Changes in social distancing or physical distancing calls will actually not have much effect if the message cannot be received clearly by the community. A public policy observer from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahardiansyah, said the government was talkative about expressions conveyed in foreign languages.

"Even though the problem is not there (the expression of social distancing or physical distancing). The problem is how to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 disease," Trubus told VOI when contacted by telephone, Monday, March 23.

For him, the use of any appeals would be useless if the public did not understand the importance of maintaining distance to prevent COVID-19. Moreover, Trubus assessed that the public's lack of understanding regarding maintaining distance often occurs in the public sphere. There are still many publics who are standing or sitting, even in groups and have the potential to cause the spread of the virus.

"This is what causes this corona disease to continue to spread, for what reason, the public does not understand. The explanation is not included," he said.

Trubus also questioned, why did the government not want to use the terms that already exist in Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning Health Quarantine? In fact, in the law that was signed by President Jokowi on August 7 2018, there is already a term about quarantine or social restrictions.

It is known, in Law Number 6 Article 1 it is explained that what is meant by quarantine is the limitation of activities and / or separation of a person exposed to an infectious disease as stipulated in the legislation even though he has not shown any symptoms or is in the incubation period, and / or separation of containers transportation means, or any goods that are suspected of being contaminated from people and / or goods that contain disease-causing or other sources of contamination to prevent possible spread to people and / or goods around them.

Meanwhile, the isolation referred to in the article is the separation of sick people from healthy people who is carried out in health service facilities to get treatment and care.

Meanwhile, for the language of social distancing or physical distancing, the Act actually can be matched with large-scale social restrictions. The meaning is the limitation of certain activities of residents in an area suspected of being infected with a disease and / or contamination in such a way as to prevent the possibility of spreading disease or contamination.

So, in view of the terms above which are quite clear, there is no need for the government to adopt foreign expressions. Because it is not certain that foreign languages can be clearly understood by the public, especially the lower middle class or low-income people.

"Referring to the law alone, the language has also been recognized. There is no need to use a language other than that," said Trubus.

"So there is no need to argue about concepts or terms, the important thing is how this disease can be slowed down in a condition this fast," he added.