Jokowi Extends Emergency PPKM Until End Of July

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy in Yogyakarta (ANTARA)

YOGYAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said President Joko Widodo had decided to extend the implementation of the emergency community activity restriction (PPKM) until the end of July.

"Earlier, the limited cabinet meeting that I attended when I was in Sukoharjo (Central Java) had been decided by the President to continue until the end of July this PPKM", said Muhadjir in Yogyakarta, quoted by Antara, Friday, July 16.

Muhadjir said, President Jokowi also conveyed that the decision to extend the emergency PPKM has many risks, including how to balance between disciplining residents to obey health protocols according to PPKM standards with the distribution of social assistance.

Social assistance, he said, could not be borne by the government itself. However, cooperation with the community and several other agencies is also needed in dealing with this pandemic.

"This social assistance cannot be borne by the government itself, so the community, including the UGM academic community, under the leadership of the Chancellor, helps those who are less fortunate as a result of this PPKM policy",m said Muhadjir.

The donation of masks said the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, also needs to be a concern considering that not a few residents consider masks as expensive items.

Muhadjir said whatever term is used, whether emergency PPKM or super emergency PPKM, as long as the community does not want to compromise and refrain from violating the health protocol, the handling of COVID-19 will not succeed.

"If you don't realize that health care is the main thing, handling COVID-19 won't work", he said.