PPKM Covid Restriction Extended or Axed? 2 Aspects Determine Its Fate

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is said to announce the fate of the public activity restriction (PPKM Level 4) on Monday. A number of indicators will be used to decide whether the Covid-19 restriction will be continued or stopped. 

According to a source for Tempo, the final decision from the government will depend on two aspects; the situation regarding epidemiology or the regional level coronavirus transmission and its existing health response capacity.

“These two aspects will determine our policy adjustment,” said the source on August 2. 

The second aspect is the latest document issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of June 14, 2021, which is titled the ‘considerations for implementing and adjusting public health and social measures in the context of Covid-19.

Initially, the PPKM Level 4 is scheduled to end today following the emergency PPKM enacted on July 21.

A previous report states that the spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment Jodi Mahardi explained that “It is being discussed in a Cabinet meeting this morning.”

The enactment of the PPKM Level 4 was announced on July 21 and last to July 15, which was an extension of the emergency PPKM (public activity restriction) enacted from July 3-July 20 following the Covid-19 case surge Indonesia logged that caused hospital facilities to start collapsing. 

However, Mahardi made it clear that the announcement of any extension is not guaranteed to be announced today. He insists that the government refers to the WHO standard on confirmed cases’ transmission rate and the health response through testing, tracing, treatment, and society’s socio-economic condition. 

Read: Govt Holds Cabinet Meeting to Determine Covid PPKM Level 4 Future

EGI ADYATAMA