Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government’s policies for handling the COVID-19 pandemic, including public activity restrictions (PPKM), are aimed at ensuring mutual safety, not restraining the community, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly has said.
“We must understand that the government’s regulation regarding PPKM must be fully supported,” he remarked while making a speech here on Thursday.
The policy regarding the enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) is part of a joint effort to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19, which is continuing to spread at present, he explained.
Although the policy will have a broad impact on the community, especially in meeting daily needs, it needs to be enforced to end the pandemic at the earliest, the minister said.
The government has made several efforts to provide social assistance to reduce the burden on people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of PPKM, Yasonna said. “In this context, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights wants to give donations to the community. The donation comes from employees,” he remarked.
The provision of social assistance has been done through the Kumham sharing program, which is meant to demonstrate solidarity with communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Laoly on Thursday symbolically handed over social funds to seven Regional Offices of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Java and Bali. The seven offices were DKI Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, and Bali.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin had earlier asked regional administrations to make sure that the enforcement level of public activity restrictions (PPKM) does not rise.
“Once we know the level, I ask (for those) with lowered level to not let it be upgraded again,” Amin said in a statement issued last week after a video conference with East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa as well as district heads and city mayors across the province.
During the video conference, which was also joined by officials from the East Java COVID-19 Task Force, Amin stressed that regions must try to gradually reduce the level of their PPKM to the lowest level. “Those at Level 4 must gradually downgrade bit by bit to Level 3, then to Level 2. Not the other way around, like Level 3 upgraded to Level 4,” he elaborated.
Amin also urged regional governments to continue coordination with regard to regional COVID-19 handling. (INE)
Source: Antara News