Jakarta Residents Are More 'Locked' In The Emergency PPKM Period

Road Blocking during Emergency PPKM (PHOTO: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The addition of isolation points continues during the Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) period. The goal is to suppress community mobility which leads to a decrease in the spread of COVID-19.

However, the addition of isolation points seems to have made the majority of Jakarta residents 'locked in'. This is because only people in essential and critical sectors can move around, and even then, they are still limited.

Director of Traffic of the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said there were 100 blocking points in the Jakarta area and its surroundings. Blocking is carried out starting from arterial roads, toll roads, to border areas.

"In the city, there are 19 points, on the toll road there are 15 points, at the city limits 10 points, in the buffer area there are 29 points, and the Sudirman-Thamrin road section there are 27 points so there are 100 points in total", said Sambodo, Wednesday, July 14th.

A hundred points of isolation have also been implemented since Thursday, July 15. The additions were made in line with the increasing number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Jakarta.

The Head of Public Relations of the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Yusri Yunus said that the addition of the isolation points was due to the reason that community mobility which had declined had increased again.

"There was a decline in Google basic traffic, we have seen a decline (mobility) of up to 50 percent, and now there has been an increase of 30 percent", said Yusri.

Moreover, in the previous insulation scheme, many people avoided the point of isolation through the rat route. Thus, the blocking point is expanded.

"We have done the blocking, but the level of public awareness is still lacking. These buffers (areas) are indeed quiet but there are efforts from the community, you know that outside of being essential and critical, they are not allowed, but they go through rats", said Yusri.

"In fact, except to make people aware that COVID is not a game. There is only one key, reduce mobility or stop mobility if it's not too important, that's the main key", Yusri continued.

In addition, public awareness of the increasingly high level of spread is also still low. They still choose to work in the office even though there are rules that do not allow it.

"But the low level of awareness of the community and company leaders, which is not supposed to open, he still forces them to open", said Yusri

On the other hand, the Police Traffic Corps also contributed to tightening the mobility of Jakarta residents. This is because there is a new blocking point, namely at the KM 31 Cikampek Toll Road, Bekasi Regency.

At the sealing point, all vehicles coming from the direction of Jakarta must present a Worker Registration Certificate (STRP). Otherwise, they will be turned back.

"Yes, you have to show the STRP. It will be reversed", said Inspector General Istiono, Head of Traffic Police of the National Police.

Even then the blocking is based on the Circular of the Minister of Transportation numbers 43 and 49 of 2021. It states that only vehicles that are allowed to pass on land are those that move in critical and essential sectors.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Ops Korlantas Kombes Rudi Antariksawan added that vehicles that will enter Jakarta will be sealed first. Insulation is carried out in the Palimanan area.

Blocking is done to check the drivers. This is because they are required to show a negative antigen swab result and a COVID-19 vaccine certificate.

"It will be sealed off in Palimanan. The conditions are PCR or rapid antigen, a certificate of having been vaccinated", he said.