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The cost of inconsistency
It will come as no surprise if the new policy leads to complacency, which in the past resulted in a spike in new cases.
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A child rides a bicycle on the closed Jl. Al-Fathu in Soreang, Bandung regency, West Java on July 4. 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)
W
e have seen the government announce a policy only to withdraw it or water it down again and again, sometimes at a cost. Most recently the government repealed its decision to impose the second most stringent public activity restrictions (PPKM) nationwide during the year-end holiday period meant to anticipate a third wave and the spread of the Omicron variant.
Late in November the government, displaying a high level of caution after the World Health Organization declared Omicron “a variant of concern”, was determined to allow no room for another wave of COVID-19 to happen through a set of mobility curbs. “Nonessential” mobility would be limited, borders tightened and civil state apparatus prohibited from cross-border travel between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2, 2022.
To support the policy, schools have delayed the first semester holiday until early January and asked their teachers to remain in town. Many private companies have followed suit, so as to support the government’s anticipatory strategy.
In just over a week, the government rescinded its own decision on the grounds of improvements in some COVID-related data. Daily infection cases have remained stable at below 400, the hospitalization rate has been on a downward trend and, as of Dec. 4, only 9.4 percent of regencies and cities across Java and Bali fell under the PPKM level 3. The government also claimed the contact tracing and testing rate and vaccination coverage had increased.
Perhaps “good news” about the lesser severity of Omicron has contributed to the government’s about-face. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the United States President, for example, has said Omicron was “almost certainly” not more severe than Delta, which fueled the second wave in, among other countries, Indonesia.
However, the fact that Omicron has remained a strain of concern and more countries have reported cases of the new variant (1,458 cases as of Dec. 8) should be a cause for vigilance. It will take more studies before we can ensure Omicron is not as dangerous and deadly as Delta, as feared by many.
In revising the tough policy, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said restrictions would remain in place, such as the requirement for travelers to prove they test negative for COVID prior to departure. The leave ban imposed on civil servants is also still intact, despite the relaxation, while certain activities that attract crowds like New Year parties are not allowed.
Certainly, the turn-around, despite a certain level of mobility curbs, has resulted in confusion. Many who had decided not to go on holiday because of the restrictive regulation are now scrambling to book tickets and hotels, the prices of which have now skyrocketed.
The cautious mood the old policy had built has now changed into a festive one. It will come as no surprise if the new policy leads to complacency, which in the past resulted in a spike in cases.
The most expensive cost of these policy changes is a loss of credibility on the government’s part. It is perhaps the inconsistency that has prevented certain elements of the public from adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
