Often Ignored By The Community, Volunteers Of The COVID-19 Task Force Admit They Are Getting Tired Of Education

Illustration (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Head of the Behavior Change Division of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Sonny Harry B. Harmadi, admitted that many volunteers or behavioral change ambassadors were tired of educating the public to comply with health protocols.

Because, said Sonny, now many people are refusing to receive education from the volunteers. People are starting to ignore the 3M protocol.

"Indeed, it seems that they are starting to get a little tired of educating, because, from the existing proportions, it turns out that their refusal has started to increase again. So there are times when people who want to be educated are willing, but there is also a refusal to be educated", said Sonny in a virtual discussion, Wednesday, June 16.

However, Sonny said the Task Force was still asking volunteers not only to educate but to actively participate in village posts or sub-district posts to make the Micro PPKM (Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities) program a success.

Sonny believes that the public can learn that by loosening health protocols, loosening mobility, there will be an impact on the spike in COVID-19 cases that will follow.

The spike in cases is starting to show now. This is because there are still many people who carry out mobility during the Eid holiday yesterday, even though the government has made a policy of eliminating going home.

"We have experienced a decline in cases. However, after the period of eliminating going home, there was a spike in cases. The rise and fall of cases, also the role of the community became very important. We must never get tired of complying with health protocols," he explained.

Sonny reminded the community support is very important in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia has succeeded in reducing cases because awareness of health protocols increased during the early implementation of micro PPKM.

"The community is not an object in controlling COVID-19 but as a very decisive subject. The work of fellow health workers is determined by how obedient and aware the community is in implementing 3M", said Sonny.

For information, as of today, the number of behavior change ambassadors throughout Indonesia is 91,219 people. They have spread over 34 provinces and 418 regencies/cities.