Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia on The Latest Development of Emergency Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM darurat) 20 July 2021, Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java

Bismillahirrahmnirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
May peace be upon us all,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue,

Ladies and Gentlemen, my fellow country countrymen,
The emergency Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM darurat) we began since 3 July was an inevitable decision that the Government must make although it was a really hard decision.

We implement the policy with the purpose of lowering the number of COVID-19 cases and the number of patients that need treatment at hospitals.

We hope the hospitals will not collapse due overcapacity and it will not hamper health care for patients with chronic diseases besides COVID-19 and put their lives on risks.

Alhamdulillah, thank God the Almighty, after the PPKM darurat is implemented, the number of daily positive cases and bed occupancy rate at hospitals has seen a decline.

We always monitor, learn from the dynamics on the ground, and listen to public aspirations affected by the implementation of this policy.

Therefore, if the trend of cases continues to decline, the Government will gradually relax the restrictions starting 26 July 2021.

Traditional markets that sell basic necessities are allowed to be re-opened until 8 p.m. with 50 percent capacity.

Traditional markets that sell products other than basic necessities may open until 3 p.m. with 50 percent capacity.

All businesses must indeed comply with strict health protocols and technical regulations to be set by regional governments

Street vendors, grocery stores, stalls that sell voucher balance for mobile phone, hair salons, laundry, automotive repair shops, car wash, and other small business may open until 9 p.m. by complying with strict health protocols that will be regulated by regional governments.

Hawkers, food stalls, and the like which operate in open space may open until 9 p.m. by complying with strict health protocols and allow a maximum of 30 minutes eating time for each customer.

Public activities on essential and critical sectors, including government sector, private sector, and travel requirements will be announced later.

I call on everyone to join hands and to cooperate to comply with the regulations on the PPKM darurat to lower COVID-19 cases and burdens of the hospitals.

To that end, we must improve discipline in observing the health protocols, encouraging people showing symptoms to do self-isolation, and providing treatment to them since the early stage.

The Government will also continue to provide two million of free prescription drugs packages for asymptomatic patients and packages for patients with mild symptoms.

How about giving assistance to people affected by the pandemic?

In a bid to ease burden of people affected by the pandemic, the Government has set an additional budget of Rp55.21 trillion for social protection programs such as the Social-cash Assistance, Cash Transfer Assistance for Villages, the Aspiring Family Program (PKH), staple food package, internet data assistance, and electricity subsidy.

The Government also provides incentives to one million micro businesses in which each beneficiary to receive Rp1.2 million of cash.

I have ordered my ministers to immediately disburse the social assistance to those eligible for the program.

I call on the people to come together to combat COVID-19. I am aware this situation is enormously hard for us, but by coming together, Indonesia will be able to free from COVID-19 and we can restore social and economic activities just like before.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (RAS/EP)