Gov’t to Intensify Tracing, Tracking as PPKM Level 4 Extended

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto deliver press statement after joining a limited meeting on the evaluation and implementation of public activity restrictions (PPKM) through video conference, Sunday (25/7).(Photo captured from Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel)

Following the Government’s decision to extend the public activity restrictions (PPKM) level 4 until 2 August 2021, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered his Ministers to intensify testing and tracing measures to reduce spread of COVID-19.

The statement was made by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in a lived-streamed press statement, Sunday (25/7).

“Based on the President’s instruction,we will ramp up testing and tracing measures starting from seven agglomeration area in provinces in the islands of Java and Bali,” Luhut said.

The Minister, who helms Emergency Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM Darurat) in Java and Bali, also stressed that the testing and tracing measures will be coordinated by a joint team of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police in cooperation with community health centers (puskesmas) in each region.

“We have completed a meeting for the preparation and I think the TNI Commander has thoroughly prepared the measures. We also provided assistance from epidemiologists from University of Indonesia (UI) and Gadjah Mada University (UGM),” he said.

In addition, the Government, he added,is also pushing for optimization of centered isolation facilities particularly in villages, sub-districts, regencies/municipalities, and provinces to prevent virus transmission and lower mortality rate.

“The move aims to prevent virus transmission and lower mortality rate particularly among elderly people and persons with comorbidities. Based on a study, mortality rate of persons with comorbidities and those that have not received vaccine has increased lately,” he said, adding that the Government will also speed up vaccination drive. (DND/UN) (RAS/EP)