Indonesia Extends Activities Restriction: Level 1 for Jakarta Following Low COVID-19 Incidences

Indonesian government through the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the basic technical regulations for the extension of the Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement (PPKM) in Java and Bali for the period of 2-15 November 2021.

The regulation is in the form of Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 57 of 2021 concerning the Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 Corona Virus Disease 2019 in the Java and Bali Regions.

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(Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs)

Area with Java and Bali with Level 1 Restrictions

As quoted from Kompas, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (2/11/2021) stated that all of areas within DKI Jakarta have officially implemented PPKM Level 1, the lowest level of restrictions, for the next two weeks.

For Banten Province, there are two areas with level 1 status, namely Tangerang City and Tangerang Regency. 

Meanwhile in West Java, four regions are categorized to level 1, namely Bogor City, Pangandaran Regency, Banjar City, and Bekasi Regency.

In Central Java, there are four regions with level 1 status, namely Tegal City, Semarang City, Magelang City, and Demak Regency. 

In East Java, there are five areas with level 1 status, namely the Surabaya City, Mojokerto City, Madiun City, Blitar City, and Pasuruan City.

All of areas in Special Province of Yogyakarta and Bali are still on level 2.

Other areas in Java and Bali are still on level 2 or 3, the complete list can be see via CNBC Indonesia. There is no area with level 4. 

Meanwhile, for area outside of Java and Bali, the regulation has not changed as it lasts from October 19 to November 8, 2021.

Restrictions Easing

The regions that implement PPKM Level 1 are considered to have met the indicator requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO). The indicator is that the number of positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 is less than 20 people per 100,000 population per week. Then, the number of hospitalizations is less than 5 people per 100,000 population and the number of deaths is less than 1 person per 100,000 population.

Eating in warteg (popular cheap restaurants) is now no longer be limited by duration, while the capacity has been increased from 50 percent to 75 percent. 

"Food stalls/warteg, street vendors, hawker stalls, and the like are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 22.00 local time with a maximum of 75 percent of visitors eating food from the capacity of technical arrangements regulated by the Regional Government," wrote the Ministry of Home Affairs signed on 1 November 2021.

Similar easing is given to restaurants and cafes with extended operating hours until 00.00. Mandatory vaccine validation through Peduli Lindungi tracing apps and masks are still in effect. 

The government also allows 75 percents of non-essential sector  to work from offices in the PPKM area level 1 Java-Bali, as long as they have been vaccinated.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said the government allowed the use of an antigen swab test as a condition for boarding airplanes in Java and Bali. Previously, PCR test was mandatory for air travels in the regions.

Meanwhile, according to Ministry of Transportation, land travelers who cover a minimum distance of 250 kilometers or 4 hours of travel, must bring several documents namely a vaccine card and a negative result of the RT PCR or antigen test.

Vaccines Rollout

In other news, The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine, both CoronaVac and Bio Farma's COVID-19 vaccine, to be used for children aged 6-11 years.

Meanwhile, as quoted from Antara News, as of October 30, 2021,  Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that the total number of Indonesian citizens who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 for the second dose have reached 73,290,688 as of Saturday at 12.00 local time. Meanwhile, the number of recipients of the first dose of vaccination have reached 119,151,818 people.