Jokowi Decides To Extend Emergency PPKM And Promises To Gradually Open Economic Activities

President Joko Widodo (Photo: setkab.go.id)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has decided to extend the implementation of the Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) until Monday, July 26 to prevent COVID-19 cases from increasing. Later, if the number of cases continues to decline, the government will not hesitate to open it gradually.

Through a video description uploaded on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube account, Jokowi announced the extension of the Emergency PPKM after the policy ended on Tuesday, July 20 today.

Initially, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta revealed that the implementation of the Emergency PPKM, which started on Saturday, July 3, had to be taken up by the government even though it was difficult. This policy was taken to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce the burden on hospitals.

After running for two weeks, Jokowi claimed that the stricter restrictions on community activities from PPKM Micro brought positive results. One of them is reducing the number of additional COVID-19 cases in the community.

"Alhamdulillah, we are grateful that after the Emergency PPKM was implemented, it can be seen from the data on the addition of cases and the number of hospital beds that have decreased," Jokowi said in a video uploaded on Tuesday, July 20.

For this reason, the government decided to continue the implementation of Emergency PPKM in Java-Bali and 15 other areas until July 25. However, Jokowi admitted that he would not ignore the voices of the people in the country, especially those affected by the restrictions.

So, he promised to slowly open these restrictions so that community activities can resume running even though the pandemic is happening.

"We always monitor, understand the dynamics in the field and listen to the voices of the people affected by PPKM," said Jokowi.

"Therefore, if the trend continues to decline, on July 26, 2021, the government will conduct a gradual opening," he added.

Economic activity will be opened if cases decline

After stating that the PPKM will be extended until Monday, July 26, President Jokowi explained a number of economic activities that will be opened. These include opening a traditional market that sells basic daily needs until 20:00 with a capacity of 50 percent of visitors.

Next, traditional markets other than those selling basic daily needs, are allowed until 15:00 with a maximum capacity of 50 percent with the implementation of strict health protocols whose arrangements are set by the regional government.

Street vendors, grocery stores, voucher agents/outlets, barbershops, laundry, hawkers, small workshops, vehicle washers, and other similar small businesses, are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 21.00 with technical arrangements regulated by the local government. .

Then, food stalls, street vendors, hawker stalls and the like that have their place of business in an open space are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 21.00 and a maximum meal time for each visitor is 30 minutes.

"Meanwhile, other activities in essential and critical sectors, both in the government and the private sector and related to travel protocols will be explained separately," said Jokowi.

Invite the community to work together to implement Emergency PPKMKM

After explaining the economic activities that will be reopened after the case declines, Jokowi asked the entire community and all parties without exception to implement the Emergency PPKM policy. This is intended so that COVID-19 cases will immediately decrease and the promised opening can be carried out.

"I ask that all of us can work together, hand in hand, to implement this PPKM, with the hope that cases will soon decrease, pressure on hospitals will also decrease," he said.

Jokowi reminded the public and all parties without exception must implement health protocols. Meanwhile, those who are sick must self-isolate and receive treatment as early as possible.

"We all have to increase discipline in implementing health protocols, isolate those with symptoms and provide treatment as early as possible to those who are exposed," said the former mayor of Solo.

The government, continued Jokowi, will continue to provide free drug packages for patients with asymptomatic status (OTG) or mild symptoms. Currently, he said, there are already 2 million drug packages that are planned to be distributed.

Next, the government will also be committed to reducing the burden on the affected communities by allocating an additional budget of IDR 55.21 trillion in the form of social assistance (bansos) in the form of cash assistance, basic food assistance, internet quota assistance, electricity subsidies, to providing incentives of IDR 1.2 million to 1 million micro-enterprises.

"I have ordered the relevant ministers to immediately distribute the social assistance to eligible citizens," said Jokowi.

Finally, before closing his announcement, Jokowi invited all parties without exception to unite against COVID-19. With the hard work of all parties, he hopes that Indonesia can soon be free from the pandemic.

"And social activities and community economic activities can return to normal," he concluded.