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Govt extends PPKM Darurat, announces easing if cases decline
The government has announced that it would ease the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) next week if COVID-19 cases across the country continued to decline, although experts are not convinced that this would occur any time soon.
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A child rides a bicycle on the closed Jl. Al-Fathu in Soreang, Bandung regency, West Java on July 4, 2021. The Bandung regency administration closed several roads to limit public mobility during the emergency public activity restriction (PPKM Darurat) period from July 3 to 20. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
T
he government has broached the possibility of relaxing nationwide emergency curbs next week if the official COVID-19 case numbers show a marked improvement, despite skepticism among epidemiologists over the effectiveness of measures to contain the surge and keep the healthcare system afloat.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Tuesday that the government had seen encouraging signs from the enforcement of PPKM Darurat, which have been in place across Java and Bali since July 3 and were later extended to 15 other regions, claiming that confirmed cases and hospital bed occupancy rates had recently begun to show a downward trend.
“We continue to monitor the dynamics in the field and listen to the public’s opinion, whose [livelihoods] are impacted by the PPKM Darurat,” Jokowi said. “If the number of cases continues to decline, the government will ease [the restrictions] on July 26.”
He did not specifically disclose to what extent the PPKM Darurat would be eased.
The easing plan includes allowing traditional markets that sell essential goods to operate until 8 p.m. with a 50 percent visitor capacity limit, while other traditional markets selling nonessential goods would be able to operate until 3 p.m.
Small businesses such as laundry services, grocery stores and street food vendors would be allowed to operate until 9 p.m. with strict health protocols in place.
Jokowi said the details of the easing policy will be left to the regional administrations.
