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Indonesia relaxes emergency curbs, vows to boost testing, tracing
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Residents walk through the closed Jl. Al-Fathu in Soreang, Bandung regency, West Java on July 4, 2021. The Bandung regency administration closes 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 announced on Sunday that it would relax some of the provisions of the ongoing multi-tiered public activity restrictions (PPKM) to support small businesses that had been suffering under the policy, while also promising to improve its testing, tracing and treatment capability going forward.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the decision had been made because policy makers had seen encouraging signs in some COVID-19 indicators, such as declines in new cases, the bed occupancy rate and the positivity rate – the share of tests administered that return positive results – in some provinces of Java.
“After deliberating the health, economic and social aspects [of the question], I’ve decided to continue the implementation of PPKM level 4 from July 26 to Aug. 2,” Jokowi said on Sunday, adding that the government would be “extremely cautious” in adjusting the restrictions.
Level 4 is the highest of the government’s new four-tier PPKM system, which is based on World Health Organization standards.
Read also: Government seeks to simplify curbs regime with name change
Level 4 restrictions are to be enforced in regencies or cities with more than 150 confirmed cases per 100,000 people per week, a hospitalization rate of more than 30 patients per 100,000 people per week and a mortality rate of more than five deaths per 100,000 people per week. Regions that record more than a 15 percent positivity rate, more than an 80 percent bed occupancy rate and have tracing capacities of less than 5 people per COVID-19 case also qualify for level 4 curbs.
The government plans to lift some of the restrictions previously in place under level 4 PPKM. It will allow street food vendors and other food stalls with outdoor spaces to offer dine-in services to customers until 8 p.m. Traditional markets that sell essential goods will be allowed to operate under strict health protocols, while traditional markets selling nonessential goods will be able to operate until 3 p.m. Small businesses such as laundromats, grocery stores and barbershops will be allowed to operate until 9 p.m.
