PPKM Jawa-Bali Extended, Restaurant In Mall Can Dine In

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JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menkomarves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the government allowed restaurants in malls or shopping centers to serve dine-in.

Previously, places to eat in malls could only serve delivery or take away food.

This new rule applies to the extension of the Level 4, Level 3, and Level 2 community activity restrictions (PPKM) in Java and Bali from 17 to 23 August 2021.

"The government will provide 25 percent dine-in access or 2 people per table at shopping centers/malls for the next week in level 4 areas conducting trials and level 3 areas," Luhut said in a virtual press conference, Monday, August 16.

Luhut said that the capacity of visitors inside malls in areas that implemented PPKM Level 4 was also relaxed, from the previous maximum of 25 percent to 50 percent.

There is also a strict health protocol that is still carried out using the PeduliLindung application to screen visitors.

"This will also certainly familiarize the community with a digitalized disciplined life which will bring changes to the current lifestyle of the people," said Luhut.

Over the past week, Luhut said that the implementation of mall openings in Java and Bali was quite good.

Through the PeduliLindung system, the government found that there were 1,015,303 people who checked-in to the system in order to enter the shopping center/mall and there were 619 people who were refused entry by the system and were not allowed to enter the mall.

"The evaluation results show that the implementation of health protocols in shopping centers/malls has been carried out in a disciplined manner," said Luhut.

Previously, Luhut announced that PPKM Level 4, Level 3, and Level 2 in Java and Bali were extended for the next week.

Luhut acknowledged that the number of COVID-19 cases on August 15 had fallen by 76 percent and active cases had fallen 53 percent from their peak. However, he said the mobility of the community had returned to normal conditions.

"This indicates a significant increase in people's mobility compared to the beginning of last July. On the one hand, this shows that the economy is recovering quickly but there is a risk of increasing cases in the next 2 to 3 weeks if we are not careful. This is good enough, it must be maintained," said Luhut.

In the implementation of the extension of the PPKM for the next week, there are additional districts/cities entering level 3 as many as 8 districts/cities, so that the total regencies/cities included in levels 3 and 2 reach 61 districts/cities.

"Regarding this decision, it will be stated in the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs in more detail," he concluded.