DKI Rejects Proposal To Implement PSBB Even Though COVID-19 Cases Soar

Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria (Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ahmad Riza Patria, responded to a suggestion from the manager of the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital Wisma Atlet Kemayoran to re-implement the PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restriction) strictly.

Although the current COVID-19 case in Jakarta continues to increase significantly, Riza admitted that his party did not want to implement the PSBB. Currently, DKI applies micro PPKM (Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities) until June 28.

"The PPKM has been decided in the next two weeks as before", said Riza at the DKI Regional House of Representatives building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, June 15.

However, Riza opened the opportunity to apply emergency brakes after the micro PPKM period ended, with several studies and considerations of all relevant stakeholders.

"Of course, we consider everything, we discuss, we have dialogue. But what is far more important is how the community can implement the 3M health protocol", he said.

Currently, the DKI Provincial Government will focus on increasing supervision related to the discipline of health protocols for its citizens, imposing sanctions on all parties who violate it and boosting vaccinations.

Moreover, this afternoon, all ranks of the DKI Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) were summoned by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace to discuss the spike in cases in the capital city.

"We will increase law enforcement and increase discipline as ordered by Mr. Jokowi. There are three important things, implementation in the field, increasing the use of masks, especially in the community, and thirdly increasing the implementation of vaccinations", he explained.

Previously, the Public Relations Coordinator of the Wisma Atlet COVID-19 Emergency Hospital, Lt. Col. TNI AL M Arifin, asked DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to re-implement large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

This is because cases in Jakarta have soared again. The bed capacity at the Wisma Atlet Hospital is running low because every day there are hundreds of patients added.

"My advice is to tighten the PSBB for a week, two weeks until it slows down. So that we can focus on treating patients well. If it has been sloping, please set it up in stages again", said Arifin.

According to Arifin, PSBB is an effective measure to suppress the spread of cases. Rules that prohibit restaurants from being closed for dine-in, closed public places, to the implementation of work from home (WFH) for all employees except for the essential sector are needed to prevent spreads.

Seeing the capacity of the COVID-19 isolation beds and ICU which are running low, Arifin is waiting for Anies to issue a decision to tighten mobility in Jakarta until tomorrow.

"Tomorrow. It's going to be a long weekend. Don't take too long. The more people will move, the longer the tracing will take. Later, person A meets B, the tracing is getting longer, it turns out that he is positive", said Arifin.