The Proposal On The Need To Immediately Issue A Regional Quarantine Policy And Its Preparations

JAKARTA - The government is issuing a Government Regulation (PP) regarding the regional quarantine policy to face the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 in accordance with Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning Health Quarantine.

Director of Advocacy and Network of the Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK) Fajri Nursyamsi said that the regional quarantine policy needed to be issued because the government's appeal regarding physical distancing or maintaining physical distance was not going well. Physical distancing does not work well, as evidenced by the large number of mobility of people who instead return to their areas after encouragement to work and study from home.

PSHK urged President Joko Widodo to immediately issue a Presidential Decree (Keppres) to determine the COVID-19 health emergency status and continue with Government Regulations (PP) related to handling the emergency nationally. After that, PSHK urged the government to immediately implement regional quarantine for each region or nationally.

"(We urge) a presidential decree that establishes regional quarantine for certain areas or nationally to limit population mobility within an area," he said.

The key in implementing regional quarantine regulations, according to the viewpoint of transportation observers, Budiyanto, is the ease of mobility, including the basic needs of the community, both logistics and health support.

"How can the government anticipate the mobility of staple goods so that they can reach their destination smoothly and on time. Then, prepare alternative roads or access to health facilities that handle the corona virus," Budiyanto said when contacted, Sunday, March 29.

Budiyanto said there needs to be good coordination and standard operating procedures (SOPs) between transportation, health and logistics. This coordination needs to be applied to officers at the lower level so that its implementation runs well.

"So, people will not be confused if at any time they need basic necessities, especially basic needs and access to referral hospitals if someone is sick or requires urgent medical needs," he said.

"If necessary, provide escort services and placement of monitoring posts to provide assurance of mobilization and a sense of security," he said.

Budiyanto said that before this policy is implemented, careful planning, socialization and trials must be carried out. After implementation for some time, the government must conduct an evaluation to correct inappropriate policies. "With careful planning, it will have a positive psychological impact on the community," said Budiyanto.

Meanwhile, according to public policy analyst Trubus Rahadiansyah, the government quarantine is not a lockdown. This is because, according to him, the implementation of a lockdown policy is high risk, especially since there have been examples from India and Mexico that carried out lockdowns by completely closing certain areas.

Trubus said, the lockdown issue arose because of the wrong perception of the public about the policies that the government was going to carry out. So, panic occurs, even though everything imagined has not happened.

"Maybe because there is a misperception that occurs. So that opinions and issues arise such as regarding the lockdown," said Trubus.

The Language Development and Development Agency defines lockdown as tantamount to regional quarantine. However, broadly speaking, lockdown is a restriction on the movement of people and crowds in each designated area.

The lockdown panic arose due to information circulating about the closure of a number of roads at the DKI Jakarta border. Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Yusri Yunus said that the road closure was not a preparation for lockdown. He said, the National Police was running simulations to prepare for any policies issued by the government in handling COVID-19.

"Just a plan. We just asked for data from the police stations, later it will be collected. For simulations, we are not doing it on site, it can be done by mapping," said Yusri.

The government promised to immediately issue a Government Regulation (PP) this week regarding regional quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD, said this draft was discussed after several regions planned to take steps to carry out quarantine in their areas.

"Now the government is preparing a draft Government Regulation to implement what is called a territorial quarantine," Mahfud said in a video conference with journalists, Friday, March 27.

"What are the conditions, then what is prohibited to do and how the procedures are being prepared. God willing, the regulation will be issued in the near future, so that there will be a uniform policy regarding that matter," said Mahfud.

He continued, the regional quarantine status would be proposed by the Head of the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 in the province to the Head of the National COVID-19 Handling Task Force. Then, the National COVID-19 Handling Task Force will coordinate with related ministers such as the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Trade and others concerned.

In order to meet the basic needs of the community, cars and basic necessities will still be allowed to enter the area. Stores for groceries and groceries will also be opened, although they will be adjusted to the existing conditions.