PPKM: Government Handbrake To Stop Omicron

PPKM Level 3 warning board (Photo: covid.go.id)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, in a live broadcast of the Cabinet Secretary online, Monday 7 February 2022 announced that the Government had raised the PPKM Jabodetabek status to level 3. The increase in PPKM is said to be due to the low number of COVID-19 tracing.

"Based on the current level of assessment, we convey that the agglomeration of Jabodetabek, DIY, Bali, Greater Bandung will go to level 3. This is not due to the high number of cases. I repeat, not because of the high number of cases but because of the low tracing", said Luhut.

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan after a meeting with the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) at DKI Jakarta City Hall explained that on February 6 there were 15,825 new cases. This number is higher than the peak of new cases in July 2021, which was 14,619 cases.

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Antara)

"So yesterday (Sunday) the daily number of COVID-19 cases had exceeded the peak of daily cases in July. This means that transmission is very fast", said Anies.

Regarding the increase in the Jabodetabek PPKM, Indonesia University epidemiologist Pandu Riono previously revealed. This was revealed by Pandu through his Twitter account @drpriono1.

He is known to be one of the epidemiologists who are often invited to meetings with the government to discuss the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

"The PPKM DKI including Jabodetabek has been raised to level 3. The PPKM level assessment has been changed by giving greater weight to the inpatient indicator. Coverage of dose 2 vaccination is a must for the local government to achieve. Get ready to increase vaccinations and limit population activities", Pandu wrote.

Adhering to Health Protocols Is Key

When we are all relieved by the easing of the contagion and ready to complete the various pending agendas, Omicron comes to take every opportunity. However, as intelligent beings or animal rationale, said the Greek philosopher Aristotle, humans must certainly strive to end the pandemic as soon as possible.

COVID-19 has spread in 227 countries, with 383,509,779 confirmed cases as of February 3, 2022. Since it was first reported on November 24, 2021, in South Africa, the Omicron variant is like a wave that quickly swept the world, replacing the Delta variant. really not an easy situation for the world.

Anies Baswedan. (Photo: Diah AW/VOI)

Indonesia is also affected. On December 16, 2021, the Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, announced the findings of the Omicron variant in the cleaning staff at Wisma Atlet, a place for quarantine and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Although most infected people have not been vaccinated, Omicron has been able to penetrate the vaccine shield. Therefore, we should not take it lightly, moreover, the Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 subvariants have emerged, with BA.2 being more contagious.

Adhering to health protocols has proven to be effective in inhibiting transmission. Experience has shown that for two years the pandemic has proven it. Likewise, vaccination which has been going on for a year has proven to be an antidote and at least minimizes the severity if infected.

PPKM Very Necessary

However, the government still has to have a brake that will be pulled more tightly so that the spread of cases does not spike. The imposition of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) is an instrument that can function as a handbrake to inhibit the spread. The government's decision to raise the PPKM Jabodetabek status to level 3 must be closely monitored and observed, to determine the next PPKM, whether it needs to be tightened or relaxed.

PPKM Level 3. (Photo: Instagram/Kemenkomarves)

PPKM is key because it is related to gathering rules, such as organizing celebrations, education, offices, or other public activities, such as malls and restaurants. The consideration of transparent and data-based PPKM levels will be more accepted by the community.

The government also still needs to encourage vaccination - both the first, second, and booster doses of vaccination - so that it is more evenly distributed and has wider coverage.

The public must be willing to make sacrifices when the brakes are pressed firmly to suppress the rate of increase in the COVID-19 variant of the Omicron because current conditions are not good.