West Papua Police Insp.Gen. Tornagogo Sihombing on Tuesday inspected a checkpoint at the Maruni village intersection in Manokwari Selatan sub-district to review his men's preparedness for the partial lockdown.
Police will take strict action against those found violating the government's partial lockdown, which has been enforced to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in communities, he said.
Therefore, to avoid penalties, people must comply with the rules for the sake of everyone's safety, he added.
Several checkpoints have been set up to monitor the mobility of people through Teluk Bintuni, Manokwari Selatan, Pegunungan Arfak, Maybart, Tambrauw, Teluk Wondama, Fakfak, and Kaimana districts, as well as Sorong city, he informed.
Only those working in essential sectors and in possession of vaccination certificates are being allowed to pass through the checkpoints, he said.
On Monday, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan had announced the commencement of the partial lockdown to help the provincial government cope with a resurgence of infections.
The decision to impose the partial lockdown was made after considering the recent surge in infections, the conditions in hospitals, and the vaccination rates in Manokwari and Sorong, he said.
The imposition of the partial lockdown is supported by assessment level 4 criteria such as hospital bed occupancy, which has exceeded 65 percent, and a significant spike in COVID-19 cases, he informed.
Vaccination rates in the two areas, which have remained below 50 percent, are also among the parameters considered for the lockdown, Mandacan said, adding that West Papua remains categorized as a red zone, or an area with a very high risk of infection.
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Since the start of the pandemic last year, West Papua has recorded 13,476 confirmed coronavirus cases, he noted.
During the partial lockdown, the provincial government has ordered all shopping malls, houses of worship, offices, shops, tourist sites, and public facilities to remain closed, he added.
People are prohibited from outdoor activities, Mandacan said. Essential sectors such as banking, healthcare services, energy and staple food supplies, and export-oriented industries are exempt from the partial lockdown, he added.
Those involved in logistics, food industries, transportation, construction, disaster mitigation, nation's strategic projects, and provision of basic necessities will be allowed to operate, but in compliance with health protocols, the governor said.
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Translator: HA Kapisa, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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