Nusantara Pol - Indonesian government is aware of the increasing trend of COVID-19 cases, especially in 43 regencies/cities out of 128 regencies/cities in Java-Bali or 33.6 percent of the area, in the last seven days. 

This was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, after attending a limited meeting regarding the Evaluation of the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) led by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Monday (08/11/ 2021), virtually. 

Press statement after the Meeting on the Evaluation of PPKM, Monday (08/11/2021), virtually. (Photo: Public Relations Secretariat/Rahmat)

"There is a trend of increasing cases in Java-Bali, mainly in 43 regencies/cities out of 128 regencies/cities or 33.6 percent in the last seven days. We will immediately collect (data from) the 43 regencies/cities in Java-Bali to immediately identify and intervene to contain this rising trend," said Luhut as quoted from Cabinet Secretariat website.

Luhut emphasized that the government continues to prioritize caution in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"In the meeting chaired by the President this afternoon, he said that we must be very careful and learn from the experiences of countries in Europe which experienced a large daily spike in cases due to people's negligence in implementing health protocols," he said. 

Overall, said Luhut, the limited restrictions implemented by the government continues to have a positive impact on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. 

Confirmed cases in Java-Bali have continued to decline, reaching 99 percent from the peak of cases on 15 July, 2021. 

"The implementation of PPKM which is continuously carried out and evaluated by the government every week has an impact that remains under control and continues to improve, this can be seen from the COVID-19 pandemic situation which continues to be maintained at a low condition," he said. 

In addition, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs continued, the control of the pandemic in the country is also indicated by the effective reproduction number (Rt) which is below one. 

"Indonesian and Java-Bali Rt are also still below 1, indicating that the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Rt in Java remained at 0.93 while in Bali it was at 0.97. So Bali is also getting better,” said the Coordinating Minister as the Java-Bali PPKM Coordinator.

In addition, Luhut added, the death rate from COVID-19 also continued to decline. “Earlier I also received a report from our epidemiologist that the death rate had also dropped so much that the number of funerals was the same as before the pandemic. So actually if we look at it from all sides, hospitals and cemeteries all show good numbers,” he said.

Based on data from the Ministry of Health, as of Monday (08/11/2021), the achievement of the national first dose of vaccination was 125.47 million doses or 60.24 percent of the target, and for the second dose it reached 79.34 million doses or 38.10 percent.

Outside of Java-Bali

In an effort to continue to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the government continues to enforce restrictions on community activities (PPKM) outside Java and Bali.

This policy is effective from 9 to 22 November 2021. 

"The extension of PPKM outside Java-Bali for the period from 9 November to 22 November 2021 or an extension of two weeks," said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, after attending the limited meeting regarding the Evaluation of PPKM, Monday (08/11/2021).

Airlangga detailed, based on a weekly assessment of the pandemic situation, out of 27 provinces outside Java-Bali there are no area at level 4 and level 3 restrictions. He stated that 22 provinces at level 2, and 5 provinces at level 1.

Previously, activity restriction for Java and Bali has been extended for the period of 2-15 November, 2021.