Jokowi Doesn't Want Lockdown, Pessimistic PAN Micro PPKM Runs Maximum

Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Faction in the House of Representatives Saleh Partaonan Daulay (DOK VOI/Nailin In Saroh)

JAKARTA - The chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction in the DPR, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, criticized President Joko Widodo's statement that he did not want to implement a lockdown. The President reasoned that the essence of the implementation of Micro-based Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) with a lockdown is the same in handling COVID-19.

In fact, said the member of Commission IX of the DPR, the implementation of the Micro PPKM is much different from the lockdown. This was said by Saleh because his party at the health commission had evaluated the implementation of the Micro PPKM which had been running for 12 extensions.

In conclusion, the Micro PPKM policy still opens up space for community interaction outside the home and has the potential to transmit COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the lockdown ensures that people's activities are locked or not allowed to leave the house for a specified period. Thus, the transmission of the COVID-19 virus can be controlled.

"So, I think that lockdown and Micro PPKM are not the same. Try a new alternative program, if you still use Micro PPKM, I'm not sure the results will be maximal," said Saleh, Thursday, June 24.

For evaluation, Saleh asked the government to look for alternative policies for handling COVID-19 other than PPKM Micro. This is because this policy has been repeated many times but there are still many violations.

"The government has implemented this PPKM long ago, and it has been in volumes until the last volume. This is the 12th volume if I'm not mistaken, but the results are still not optimal," he said.

Saleh also encouraged the government to evaluate the current COVID-19 handling program. Whether, has an impact on public health or not.