Pandemic Will Linger If PSBB Only Applied in Jakarta: Epidemiologist

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An epidemiologist from Griffith University in Australia, Dicky Budiman, opined that the COVID-19 pandemic would not end if the Large-scale Social Restriction (PSBB) is only applied in Jakarta.

According to him, the capital city’s neighboring regions, namely Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, must also tighten the restriction. “If it (PSBB) is not implemented [there], believe me, this [pandemic] will not end. It will linger,” said Dicky on Monday, September 28.

Dicky said the four regions were inseparable parts of the capital city. Many Bekasi residents, for example, work in Jakarta, while many Jakartans also seek entertainment there.

“The regions have not yet followed Jakarta and tightened the PSBB. So [the virus mitigation] will be less effective,” said Dicky.

He also touched on the transitional PSBB that was attributable to the expansion of virus transmission and the surge in cases and fatalities.

“This is why I keep underlining that it should not be just Jakarta [that enforcing the PSBB] because when talking about Jakarta, it cannot be separated from its surrounding regions,” the epidemiologist reiterated.

Throughout September 2020 until today, Jakarta has logged more than one thousand new cases per day. Today’s figure was the lowest at 807. The city reported a surge in positive cases as it relaxed the PSBB starting June 5, 2020.

Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi also recorded the spike in cases and new infection clusters in August 2020. Many were infected from Jakarta office clusters.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan was then determined to reimpose the PSBB from September 14 for 14 days and extended it until October 11, 2020.

Read: PSBB Manages To Reduce COVID-19 Case Number in Jakarta 

LANI DIANA WIJAYA