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Pandemic curbs eased in Jakarta, Surabaya
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Passengers of the Jakarta MRT train sit on a bench that has been given a distance guide sticker between passengers while waiting for the train at Blok M MRT Station, Jakarta, in 2020. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
T
he government will relax restrictions in the metropolitan agglomeration areas of Jakarta and Surabaya and a number of regencies and cities across the archipelago starting on Tuesday, saying epidemiological indicators have improved following the third COVID-19 peak.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who heads the government’s pandemic handling efforts in Java and Bali, said on Monday that Greater Jakarta and Greater Surabaya in East Java, will have their public activity restriction (PPKM) levels lowered to level 2 – the second-lowest level – until March 14.
Under PPKM level 2, maximum office capacity is increased for nonessential businesses from 50 percent to 75 percent, and from 75 percent to 100 percent for essential businesses. Meanwhile, office capacity for critical sectors remains unchanged at 100 percent.
Hotels, shopping centers and restaurants under level 2 curbs are now allowed to operate at 75 percent visitor capacity, up from the previous 60 percent. Places of worship and public spaces, such as parks and other facilities, will be allowed to operate at 75 percent capacity.
The relaxation has come amid a decrease in the country’s daily caseload – particularly for provinces in Java and Bali – in the country’s third pandemic wave, which is thought to have been caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
“The national trend for new daily cases has decreased very significantly, along with the hospitalization rate and the [daily] death rate,” Luhut said during a press briefing.
The country reported 21,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday – fewer than a third of its highest daily tally of 64,000 cases on Feb. 16. The number of active cases has also continued to decline, down to 475,000 cases on Sunday, from 586,000 cases during the peak on Feb. 24.
