Don't Return To Jakarta After Homecoming In The Middle Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

Bundaran HI (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Even though the government has issued a recommendation to prohibit going back to their hometown before Eid Al-Fitr, in fact, many people choose to return home just to stay in touch with their families.

This then led the government to ask people not to return to Jakarta in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, after returning to their hometowns. This needs to be done to break the chain of spreading the virus, especially in the DKI Jakarta area, which until now has become the epicenter area.

"Understand, that in the current situation we must not use the way of thinking, acting like the situation in the past. This is what the government, even the President himself, said we had to be patient with. This situation is not easy, but we are sure. "Together, we can certainly do it," said Achmad Yurianto, spokesman for the handling of COVID-19, quoted from his written statement on Monday, May 25.

He also explained that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has issued a Governor Regulation (Pergub) Number 47 of 2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) which has now been extended to 4 June.

In that regulation, Yurianto explained, it was explained that the activities of entering and leaving the community to the Jakarta area during the pandemic as now are prohibited and exempted for those who hold an exit-entry permit (SIKM) which can be downloaded here.

"The principle is that there are indeed exceptions for work activities carried out, either by DKI residents who have to carry out work outside Jabodetabek, or people who are outside Jabotabek who must have jobs in DKI," he said.

It is known that until Sunday, May 24, 5,247 applications for SIKM had been received by the DKI Jakarta Province Investment and One Stop Integrated Services (DPMPTSP) Office.

Of these, 635 applications are still waiting to be validated by the guarantor or the person in charge; 3,493 applications were rejected; and 820 applications were declared to have met the requirements so that SIKM could be issued electronically.

According to the Head of DKI Jakarta DPMPTSP Benni Aguschandra, the rejected application occurred because the applicant did not meet substantial needs such as only wanting to visit their family's house and hold a reunion.

"66.6 percent of our total SIKM applications were rejected or not approved because they generally did not meet substantial provisions," said Benni.

Perform insulation to prevent backflow

The police will also carry out traffic blocking so that travelers from their hometowns cannot return to DKI Jakarta in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and risk transmitting this virus.

"We are doing backflow blocking. This means that people who do not have special skills or expertise are expected not to go to Jakarta. Because we are in a pandemic condition and the Jakarta PSBB has also been extended until June 4," said Head of Public Relations of the National Police Brigadier General Prabowo Argo Yuwono in a press conference. which aired on the BNPB YouTube account, Saturday, May 23.

Blocking the backflow will be carried out on every road segment leading to DKI Jakarta. Argo gave an example, the East Java Regional Police, for example, carried out a blockage between toll roads in the Sragen area, namely at KM 679 thousand.

"Also in the arteries. There are seven in Tuban, Situbondo, Cemoro Sewu, to Ngawi, and Sragen. Then there are also city divides. There are eight in Pantura, nine in the middle lane, and six in the south," he explained.

Furthermore, blockages were also carried out in Central Java, namely at the Sragen toll road exit KM 528 and Banyumanik KM 421 toll gate. For the arterial route, there are blockages in four areas, namely Rembang, Blora, Wonogiri, and Sragen. Meanwhile, the backflow between cities consists of 10 points.

Then for the West Java Regional Police, said Argo, the blocking was carried out in the five city toll roads namely Tegal Karang, Plumbon, East Ciperna, Kanci, and Cileduk which are indicators of the Main Palimanan Toll Gate. As for the Cikarang Utama indicator toll lane, there are five locations and GT Kalimata three locations for wiping out.

"In Japek there are three of them at KM 47. Meanwhile, the arteries are in Sukabumi, Cirebon, Kuningan, Banjar, Ciamis. For the Banten Police, there are nine locations for backflow blocking," he concluded.