If Anies Only Applies Curfew In The Red Zone RT, It Will Not Be Effective In Suppressing COVID-19

Illustration / Banner of Micro PPKM socialization in Jakarta (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan applies a curfew rule on RTs that have a high risk of spreading COVID-19 or the red zone. The curfew is in effect during PPKM Mikro until 3 May.

But an epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, said that the implementation of a curfew on the red zone RT in the capital is ineffective without tightening other activities.

This is because, according to Dicky, the high movement of people occurs in the morning to evening or at work. Meanwhile, the night is not so crowded.

"The situation with the greatest mobility of interaction mobility is actually from morning to around 20.00 WIB. If it only applies the curfew, this does not control people whose mobility is from morning to evening that day," said Dicky to VOI, Monday, April 26th.

Not to mention, there must be reinforcement at the community level, but a response at a scale outside the RT community. It can be at the district / city level, even at the provincial level. This is because integrated control will contribute.

Given, Jakarta is a city with very high mobility, both from within the city and in agglomeration areas such as Jabodetabek.

"Say the RT and RW areas in the red zone are strengthened. But residents who live there travel to restaurants or other crowds. This person will return to his house and potentially carry the corona virus," he said.

"So, implementing a curfew can certainly reduce cases. But it must also be seen that this is not sufficient in responding to a COVID-19 transmission of this size," he continued.

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan previously issued a curfew regulation against RT with red zones. The red zone is assigned to RTs that have had more than 5 cases of COVID-19 over the past 7 days. The control scenario is carried out more strictly than the other zones.

First, by finding suspected cases and close contact tracing. Then, positive patients and close contacts undergo self-isolation. Then, closing children's playgrounds and public places except for essential sectors.

RT with a red zone prohibits crowds of more than 3 people, limits entry and exit of RTs to a maximum of 20.00 WIB, and eliminates social activities in the RT that cause crowds and have the potential to cause transmission.

This applies during the micro PPKM period from April 20 to May 3, 2021 as stated in the Governor's Instruction Number 23 of 2021 concerning the Extension of the Implementation of Micro-Based PPKM at the Neighborhood Level (RT).