Home Minister Issues Instruction to Extend Activity Restrictions
Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian on 22 January 2021 has issued Instruction Number 2 of 2021 on the Extension of Public Activity Restrictions to Control the Spread of COVID-19.
In the first dictum of the Instruction, the Minister instructs all Governors in the islands of Java and Bali to impose public activity restrictions in their respective regions and the Governors may add priority restrictions according to the situation in each region.
The instruction also addresses Regents/Mayors in priority areas, namely Bogor Regency, Bekasi Regency, Cimahi, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, and Greater Bandung area (West Java Province), Tangerang Regency, Tangerang, and South Tangerang (Banten Province), Greater Semarang area, Greater Banyumas area, and Surakarta area (Central Java Province), Yogyakarta, Bantul Regency, Gunung Kidul Regency, Sleman Regency, and Kulon Progo Regency (Yogyakarta Province), Greater Surabaya area and Malang area (East Java Province) as well as Badung Regency and Denpasar area (Bali Province).
The second dictum of the instruction stipulates the following provisions:
- Implementing work from home policy for 75 percent of workers and work form office policy for 25 workers and implementing stricter health protocols;
- Implementing online learning/teaching activities;
- Allowing essential sectors such as health sector; groceries; food, beverages; energy; communication and information technology; finance, banking, payment systems, capital markets; logistics; hospitality; construction; strategic industry; basic services, public utilities, and industries designated as national vital objects and specific objects; as well as daily needs related to the basic needs of the communities to be able to operate 100 percent by regulating operating hours, capacity, and implementing stricter health protocols;
- Imposing restrictions on the following aspects:
– Restaurant activities (25 percent of the capacity for dine-in). Food delivery services are still permitted in accordance with the restaurant operating hours; and
– Operating hours for shopping centers/malls (not later than 20.00 Western Indonesia Time);
- Allowing construction activities to operate 100 percent on condition that stricter health protocols are in place;
- Allowing places of worship with 50 percent of the capacity and stricter health protocols;
- Temporarily prohibiting activities in public facilities and socio-cultural activities that can cause mass gathering; and
- Managing capacity and operational hours for public transportation.
Minister of Home Affairs, in the third dictum of the Instruction, states that the scope of the policy applies for Provinces/Regencies/Cities that have mortality rate above the national average, recovery rate below the national average; active case rate above the average national, and the Bed Occupancy Ratio (for the Intensive Care Unit and isolation rooms) above 70 percent.
In the fourth dictum of the Instruction, the Minister states that restrictions policy is implemented in all Provinces in the islands of Java and Bali with the consideration that all Provinces in these regions meet one or more of the four determined criteria.
“Governors may impose restrictions in other Regencies/Cities in their jurisdiction, taking into account the four parameters and other considerations to strengthen efforts to control COVID-19,” the Instruction states.
In the fifth dictum, the Minister instructs regional governments to intensify the implementation of health protocols, strengthen tracking and tracing systems, improve health facilities (beds, ICU rooms, and isolation rooms), and improve coordination among areas through the Integrated Emergency Management System for patient and health workers redistribution.
The sixth dictum of the Instruction stipulates that the restrictions policy shall apply from 26 January to 8 February 2021, and the termination on the policy shall take into account the aforementioned parameters in four consecutive weeks.
The seventh dictum stipulates that Governors and Regents/Mayors outside the areas stipulated by the first dictum must continue to strengthen law enforcement against violations of COVID-19 health protocols.
In the eight dictum, the Instruction states that all Governors and Regents/Mayors must strengthen the COVID-19 Task Force at Province, Regency/City to village levels.
“This Ministerial Instruction shall come into force on 26 January 2021. As from the time at which this Instruction comes into force, Instruction of Minister of Home Affairs Number 1 of 2021 is revoked and declared null and void,” the ninth dictum of the Instruction states. (PR of Minister of Home Affairs/UN) (RI/MUR)
