Members Of The House Of Representatives Commission IX Questioned The Reasons For The COVID-19 Task Force Not To Announce Daily Data Through Public Broadcasts

Member of Commission IX DPR RI Saleh Partaonan Daulay (Photo: DPR RI website)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX DPR RI Saleh Partaonan Daulay questioned the reason for the COVID-19 Task Force no longer announcing daily data through public broadcasts and only inviting the public to access daily data through the website www.covid19.go.id.

"Why is such an announcement (delivering daily data, red) no longer being made," said Saleh when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, June 22.

According to him, submitting daily data by relying on internet sites may not necessarily reach the public. Because, not all people have smooth internet access like in big cities.

"But if it is announced on television they can find out and watch it themselves," he said.

He further said that announcements regarding the number of daily cases, both suspected and positive, recovered, and died should be announced every day. In fact, if necessary, a clear mapping of the area where the virus was spread should be explained so that the community becomes more alert.

Moreover, in various countries, announcements regarding the increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases are often made. "So if they are open, why aren't we open? Yes, it's fine, what should be hidden from there," he said.

The deputy chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Faction also emphasized that the delivery of this information is also one of the steps to make the public aware of the dangers of COVID-19. So, he is worried that the daily information that is usually conveyed by the Spokesperson for the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto is not delivered by the COVID-19 Task Force.

Because, if only the recovery rate is conveyed, the community will not care about the spread of COVID-19 in their midst.

"If that is all that is described, the community will feel at ease, there will be no problem so the health protocol will be abandoned. They will also not be afraid to go to crowds, do not keep their distance when taking public transportation, KRL and buses and many other things that are not I think the impact is not good, "he said.

Previously, when carrying out his duties as Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito did not read out daily cases as routinely conveyed by the Spokesperson for the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto.

This change occurred after President Jokowi signed Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 82 of 2020 concerning the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (PEN) which replaced the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19.

"There has been a change in the announcement of the daily COVID-19 cases previously delivered by the Director General of P2P of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Achmad Yurianto, then daily case updates can be seen on the portal www.covid19.go.id," Wiku said in a press conference broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Tuesday, July 21.

After announcing this, Wiku only presented a number of good news, such as mapping the zones of areas that were categorized as high, medium, low, no new cases, and not affected, and announced the percentage of the national recovery rate at 54.47 percent.

Meanwhile, bad news, such as the number of additional cases daily, the number of patients who died, as often conveyed by Achmad Yurianto, did not read.