Gov’t Announces Extension of PPKM Level 4 with Adjustments for Certain Sectors
President Joko Widodo (Photo: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of Presidential Secretariat)
In a bid to curb the pandemic, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Sunday (25/07) at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta announced that public activity restriction (PPKM) level 4 will be extended to 2 August 2021.
According to the President, the decision was made after his administration took several aspects into account, including health, economic and social dynamics aspects.
“Taking health, economic, and social dynamics aspects into consideration, I have decided to continue the implementation of PPKM level 4 from 26 July to 2 August 2021. However, we will make several adjustments on public activities and mobility gradually with extra caution in the implementation,” he said.
The adjustments are as follows:
First, public markets that sell staple food are allowed to open as usual with strict health protocols.
Second, public markets that sell other goods besides daily needs can open with a 50-percent maximum capacity until 3 pm and further regulations from regional government.
Third, street vendors, grocery stores, voucher agents or outlets, barbershops / salons, laundry shops, small garages, vehicle wash facilities, and other similar small businesses are allowed to open until 9 pm with strict health protocols and technical regulations from regional government.
Fourth, food stalls, street food vendors, and the like that operate their business in open space are allowed to open until 8 pm with strict health protocols and a maximum eating time of 20 minutes for every visitor.
“Other technical aspects will be explained by the related coordinating ministers and ministers,” the President added.
According to the President, there is an improving trend in COVID-19 pandemic management as the number of cases, bed occupancy rate, and positivity rate in several provinces in the island of Java show a downward trend.
Nevertheless, the Head of State urged the public to remain cautious in response to the improved trend and remain vigilant in facing the highly infectious Delta variant.
“The health aspect must be calculated thoroughly and at the same time, the public socioeconomic aspect, especially daily needs fulfillment, must also be prioritized,” he added.
The President maintained that to ease the people’s burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has intensified social aids distribution to the people and micro and small enterprises, adding that more information will be announced by the related coordinating minister and ministers.
On that occasion, the Head of State also specifically ordered related ministers to take optimal measures to distribute vitamins and supplements to the people, to provide medicine assistance and doctor consultation for self-isolating patients, as well as to provide treatment support for hospitals.
“We must optimally curb mortality rate and in regions with a high mortality rate, hospital capacity, (the number of) centralized isolation facilities, and oxygen supply must be increased immediately,” he said, while urging the public to remain vigilant of the possible emergence of other more infectious variants.
The President ordered for improved testing and tracing, followed by a quick treatment to reduce transmission rate and increase recovery rate.
“Strict health protocols as well as testing, tracing, and treatment improvement will be the main pillars of COVID-19 management in the future. Wearing a face mask and maintaining a safe distance are always a must,” he said, while urging the nation to join hands to tackle the pandemic.
“Finally, I am appealing to all of you to come together and join hands in the fight against COVID-19. With our hard work, God willing, we can soon be free from COVID-19 and the public socioeconomic activities can go back to normal,” he remarked. (FID/UN) (DH/EP)
