Pandemic Hits Epidemiologist Pandu Riono Asks The Government To Revoke PPKM

Epidemiologist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) Pandu Riono. (photo: doc. between)

JAKARTA – The COVID-19 pandemic, which seems to be starting to subside, has made Epidemiologist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) Pandu Riono push the government to end the policy of implementing restrictions on community activities (PPKM).

"Hopefully, if we want to relax, we should not wear masks. The PPKM is stopped, because the economy is weakening because of PPKM," said Pandu Riono, who was confirmed in Jakarta, Sunday afternoon, May 22.

Pandu said the economic recovery in the midst of an increasingly controlled pandemic situation needed to be accompanied by the government's decision to end PPKM.

The reason is that the prolonged PPKM policy made some people confused about the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country and made work activities uneasy.

"When it comes to the economy, PPKM should be revoked. So people can move as usual, move quietly, want to go to work, factory work is also full, but still wear masks and also booster vaccinations," he said.

One of the reasons Pandu urged PPKM to be discontinued, was because the last survey report before Eid 2022, in Java-Bali there was an increase in the proportion of the population who had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that cause COVID-19 by 99.2 percent.

Even though the pandemic situation in Indonesia is getting under control, according to Pandu, the habit of wearing masks and booster vaccinations must be the ideal combination in anticipating the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

According to Pandu, the Indonesian people still need education on the use of masks through appreciation and sanctions imposed by the government.

"Everything is educational in nature. In Singapore there is still a penalty if there are people who do not wear masks in the room," he said, as quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, those who comply with the booster vaccination program or the third dose, Pandu stated, they are allowed to move in public spaces and public transportation without having to test for antigen or RT PCR.

Pandu reminded the public that the status of the COVID-19 pandemic has not been revoked by the World Health Organization (WHO), so the risk of COVID-19 transmission is still there.

For this reason, the COVID-19 Pandemic Team, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) again continued the third serological survey nationally to monitor the development of the community's immune system based on the government's COVID-19 vaccination program and natural vaccines obtained by COVID-19 survivors.

"Our serology will be carried out again in June-July 2022. There will be more throughout Indonesia. The method is the same using blood samples, as in December 2022, when the national population selected serosurveys as samples," he said.

The report will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for consideration by the government in measuring the success of controlling the pandemic in Indonesia.