Sri Sultan HB X Choose Jogja Lockdown Option: Why Do You Want It Again?

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X talks about the Jogja lockdown option (Photo from DIY Local Government)

YOGYAKARTA - The latest news from Yogyakarta, the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, is considering the option of a total lockdown. The Jogja lockdown discourse emerged as the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) soared.

The news that Jogja was preparing for a lockdown was conveyed directly by Sri Sultan HB X after observing the addition of positive cases of COVID-19 DIY over the past week.

Sri Sultan said that so far the control of community mobility has been carried out at the lowest level, namely RT/RW.

“Control in RT RW, if it fails, arep ngopo meneh (what else do you want). We can't necessarily find a way out, the only way is lockdown, totally. We, the government, are also difficult if people don't appreciate themselves to be disciplined,” explained Sri Sultan at the Kepatihan Complex, Yogyakarta. According to Sri Sultan, the main key to minimizing the addition of cases is public awareness as a subject. "Regardless of that condition, yes, we really must have the ability to discipline ourselves, otherwise it will continue like this forever," Sri Sultan explained, quoted from a written statement from the Yogyakarta Provincial Government, Friday, June 18.

Ngarsa Dalem considers that the lockdown is a policy that must be taken considering the occupancy rate of hospital beds or the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) has also increased sharply.

“(BOR) We were 36 percent yesterday, now it's 75 percent in just one week. Above 500, it's impossible, right? said Ngarsa Dalem.

On the other hand, Ngarsa Dalem will coordinate with the Regency/City to provide a quarantine place.

"Quarantine must be tightened, if there is no toilet, it is not allowed to quarantine at home. Must be in the place we provide. If you don't have your own toilet, you can hit your neighbors. Now they don't want to be disciplined, if they don't, just lock it up, they have no choice," added Ngarsa Dalem.

Next week, Sri Sultan will hold a joint coordination meeting with district/city policy makers and Forkominda DIY regarding the ability to make extra restrictions on community mobility. The reason is, in the Micro PPKM policy that has been implemented so far, the DIY government has issued instructions for the Regency / City government to control it up to the RT / RW level.

In addition, Sri Sultan said in the extension of the Implementation of the DIY Micro Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) which took effect from 15-28 June 2021, a number of rules had been modified in order to suppress the transmission that had occurred at the family level and between neighbors.

According to Sri Sultan, the modification of the Micro PPKM is the last step to suppress mobility. "Now it's in the regulations, if you organize community activities, you don't need a village permit, you have to go until sometime. The hope (control) can be more stringent. But if it still penetrates again, it's not enough for me (what else to do)," said Sri Sultan.

Previously, until Thursday, June 17), the DIY COVID-19 cases cumulatively reached 50,746 cases. While the recovered cases reached 44,843 cases and 1,330 cases died. For active cases reached 4,573 cases. Meanwhile, the analysis shows that the current Covid-19 transmission chart tends to fluctuate. Unlike when the virus first appeared.

"Maybe the graph is fluctuating, there is no peak like that. But in fact it is not only possible (not only) in Indonesia. The whole world is like that," he explained. Therefore, Sri Sultan considers that the policy of implementing a lockdown will be carried out as a last step to be able to reduce the rate of increase in positive cases of COVID-19 in the DIY region as well as limiting community mobility.