Gov’t Extends Activity Restrictions Outside Java, Bali to 23 August

The Government has announced its decision to extend the activity restrictions (PPKM) policy outside the islands of Java and Bali to 23 August 2021.

“In accordance with the President’s directives for the areas outside Java and Bali, an extension will be implemented for two weeks, namely from 10 August to 23 August,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday (09/08/2021).

Outside the islands of Java and Bali, he added, 45 regencies/cities implement level-4 PPKM, 302 regencies/cities implement level-3 PPKM, and 39 regencies/cities implement level-2 PPKM.

For the record, the Government has changed several policies on the activity restrictions, as follows.

In the areas implementing the level-4 PPKM, export-oriented industries and its supporting industries can operate 100 percent with the implementation of strict health protocols, while activities in places of worship are allowed with a maximum capacity of 25 percent or 30 people and with the implementation of strict health protocols.

In the areas implementing the level-3 PPKM, face-to-face teaching and learning activities can be carried out with a maximum capacity of 50 percent, export-oriented industries and its supporting industries can operate 100 percent, restaurants are allowed to serve dine-in with a maximum capacity of 50 percent, malls/shopping centers are allowed to open until 20.00 with a maximum capacity of 50 percent, and activities in places of worship are allowed with a maximum capacity of 50 percent or 50 people.

All activities must be carried out with the implementation of strict health protocols, he added.

Airlangga said that the Government also continues to increase a number of measures aimed at controlling and handling the pandemic, including by accelerating vaccination, increasing tracking and testing measures, fulfilling the needs for medicine and oxygen, and building centralized isolation facilities.

On that occasion, Airlangga explained that most of the main indicators in the Implementation of the level-4 PPKM in the period of 3 to 9 August 2021 have improved compared to the previous PPKM period.

At the national level, he continued, the trend of daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 has started to decline. The daily confirmed cases on 9 August show a 16.19 percent drop compared to that of 1 August.

“Areas in the islands of Java and Bali have reported a decline. The contribution from the areas outside Java and Bali is now 46.5 percent of the total national [active cases],” Airlangga remarked. (DND/UN) (RI/MUR)