PPKM Level 4 Extension Accompanied By Easing, Is It Right?

Illustrations (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The government has decided to extend the implementation of Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) as of today until August 2.

A number of relaxations were carried out, including opening markets and small businesses such as street vendors (PKL), grocery stores, barbershops to tent stalls, and a number of similar businesses.

The announcement of the PPKM Level 4 extension was delivered directly by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) through a video description uploaded on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube account.

"I have decided to continue implementing PPKM Level 4 from July 26 to August 2, 2021," said Jokowi in a video description posted on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Sunday, July 25.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta said that this decision was taken after the government considered a number of aspects such as health, economy, and dynamics in the community.

Jokowi then said there were a number of rules that were adjusted or relaxed in the middle of this Level 4 PPKM. One of them is that people can eat on the spot when they are in a tented stall, but it is limited to 20 minutes.

"Tent stalls, street vendors, hawker stalls and the like that have their place of business in the open are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 20.00 and a maximum meal time for visitors of 20 minutes," he said.

Furthermore, he said street vendors, grocery stores, voucher agents or outlets, barbershops, laundromats, hawkers, small workshops, vehicle washers, and other similar small businesses are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 21.00.

Next, the people's market that sells basic needs for daily needs may open as usual with strict health protocols. Meanwhile, people's markets that do not sell basic necessities are allowed to open with a maximum of 50 percent of visitors and operate until 15.00.

He did not elaborate on further regulations regarding this easing, because all the rules were left to the relevant ministers.

This easing was carried out after the trend of improving the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be seen from the decrease in the number of positive cases, the bed occupancy rate (BOR), to the positivity rate.

Is easing in the extension of PPKM Level 4 appropriate?

An epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, believes that easing is something the government must do. This aims to avoid the lower-middle-class society being burdened with the crush of the economy.

So, he understands the government's decision to open a number of economic sectors, especially those that are in direct contact with the community.

"When it comes to easing, it's really difficult. Especially easing related to the economic aspect because the activities of small people are difficult to avoid because of the heavy burden of the economic sector," said Dicky when contacted by VOI.

However, he asked the government to continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 cases in the midst of the easing. The trick is to carry out testing, tracing, and treatment quickly and aggressively.

The implementation of 3T, said Dicky, must also be carried out throughout the country, not only in Java-Bali. With the implementation of testing, tracking, and maintenance, it is hoped that in the future the positivity rate will continue to be suppressed and maintained.

"The maximum test positivity rate is 5 percent. That will guarantee a small exposure potential during easing," he said.

One of the ways he said he could increase the number of COVID-19 testing in Indonesia was by providing free tests for the entire community.

"Testing must be massive and aggressive. Then the strategy is to provide free tests to reach the entire community so that the target of 1 million testings per day can be achieved and a positivity rate of 5 percent and below can be obtained. In addition, vaccinations must also be increased," he concluded.