Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has said that the downgrade of community activity restrictions (PPKM) levels in several districts and cities has fostered optimism in other regions.

“We are happy because some levels have decreased in several districts and cities. This will foster optimism in others,” he said in Semarang on Tuesday.

Despite the good news, the governor urged the public to continue to follow the health protocols with a disciplined approach.

The reduction of the restriction level should not make the public complacent, and monitoring must continue, he stressed. Not only by the government, but also from all stakeholders, he added. “Don’t let there be disturbances nearing the finish line, caused by our lack of discipline. This is what we must prepare, so we are monitoring this today. For example, how face-to-face learning is being implemented in schools today; it is already good,” Pranowo remarked.

The governor also urged the managers of tourist attractions to conduct a trial before opening them to the public and strictly enforce health protocols.

“Earlier, there were also many who asked: if the (level) has dropped, could tourism (operate again) or not? Please try it out first; so, we tend to be more prepared so that the adaptation of the new habit can work later,” he said. As for the extension of the PPKM, the operating hours of malls have been extended till 9 p.m. local time and the capacity for dine-in guests at restaurants has been increased up to 50 percent, he added.

“It’s okay. It’s okay now to add a little more (capacity), in my opinion. The most important thing is the control, the control is from the manager, the community, and the government,” Pranowo said.

In order to facilitate this need for control, it would be better if lots of surveillance cameras are placed in crowded places, he suggested.

Source: Antara News