Gov’t Continues Java-Bali PPKM with Several Adjustments

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in a press statement after a meeting on the evaluation of PPKM, Monday (18/10) (Photo by: PR/Jay)

Following the improvement in the recent COVID-19 development in the country, the Indonesian Government has once again made several adjustments to the public activity restriction (PPKM) in the islands of Java-Bali from 19 October to 1 November 2021.

Child playgrounds in malls/shopping centers are now allowed to open in Level 2 regencies/cities.

“We require that the child playgrounds must record the phone numbers and addresses of parents as well as the playtime for tracing needs,” Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in a press statement after a meeting on the evaluation of PPKM, Monday (18/10).

The capacity of cinemas for Level 2 and 1 regencies/cities can be increased to 70 percent. Children are now allowed to enter the cinema in Level 1 and 2 regions.

Furthermore, Luhut added, logistics drivers who have received their second dose can use an antigen test document, which is valid for 14 days, to travel domestically. “A random test will be conducted on the logistics drivers. We urge for logistics driver who feels unwell to immediately report to get checked,” he said.

Accompanied by their parents, children under 12 years old are allowed to enter tourist attractions in Level 2 regencies/cities that facilitate the use of PeduliLindungi application.

“Opening trials for tourist attractions in Level 3 regencies/cities will be added in line with the permit from Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. Water tourism can be opened at Level 2 and 1 regencies/cities,” Luhut said.

The Government will also continue to expand and improve the implementation of PeduliLindungi application as part of efforts to control COVID-19.

“To date, PeduliLindungi application has been used more than 102 million times in various public areas, with an average usage per day approaching 3 million. PeduliLindungi application is our tool to contain the increase in cases amidst the easing of public activities and mobility,” he said.

For the record, the national daily confirmed cases continue to show a downward trend since reaching a peak in July. “Currently, there are only less than 20,000, to be exact, 18,000 [active cases] nationally and more or less 7,000 in Java-Bali. [A huge gap] compared to more than 570,000 active cases at the peak of the highly contagious Delta variant on 15 July,” he said.

The mortality rate indicator also shows improvement, Luhut added. “On 17 October, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, West Java, Special Region of Yogyakarta and Bali provinces recorded zero deaths. Other provinces in Java-Bali recorded fewer than five deaths per day. I think this figure is much better than the previous June,” he said.

The Coordinating Minister expressed belief that the low mortality rate will be maintained along with the increasing coverage of vaccination, especially for the elderly.

“So far, the Java-Bali vaccination coverage has only reached 43 percent. We want the elderly vaccination coverage in the next two months to reach 70 percent. I think Minister of Health, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), and Chief of the National Police (Polri) are now working hard to achieve the year-end target,” he said. (Cabinet Secretariat PR-DND/UN) (FI/MUR)