Hopefully, the PPKM level 4 now in force until Aug. 2 will no longer involve such use of violence against people affected by the crisis in the name of enforcement of the regulation.

In Surabaya, East Java; in Bandar Lampung; in Gowa, South Sulawesi, and other cities in the country, joint forces conducted the raids, in some cases involving acts of violence.

It is not only the potential use of violence that matters. The PPKM level 4 have only added problems for us small food stall owners for several reasons.

First, the regulation that customers may only stay at food stalls for 20 minutes. This could give public order officers justification to use excessive force to control food stalls and customers. It is not clear enough how we, or the officers, can make sure visitors follow the time limit. Will they, or we, sound an alarm any time someone stays over the limit?

Practically, for low-income people who are our loyal customers, the time they stay in food stalls is not spent only eating meals, but also releasing the stress of the day. Besides, should public order or police officers check that all food stalls enforce this protocol?

Second, as a breakdown of the central government’s rule, the Jakarta government has issued a new regulation stipulating that vaccination is now mandatory for food stall customers, servants and owners, as well as street vendors and hawker stalls. Dine-in visitors are limited to half the capacity of the establishment.

Popular

Firefighter dies battling blaze at illegal Jakarta dumpsite

Fighting forest fires starts with communities

When war comes for the economy