Make sure that the people who are ill receive treatment at hospitals
Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani has urged the government to ensure that citizens fully realize the benefits and objectives of the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM).

The government must also ensure that its COVID-19 handling policy and measures really offer a solution, she said in a written statement released in Jakarta on Monday.

"Make sure that the people who are ill receive treatment at hospitals. The number of emergency hospitals must be increased if existing hospitals can no longer accommodate them. Also, make sure that oxygen and medicine stocks are also available to those conducting self-isolation," she urged the government.

The House Speaker said the emergency PPKM is a crucial measure taken by the government to show the public that it is continuing to take constructive steps to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.

Hence, the government should help citizens realize that the ongoing public activity restrictions are unavoidable, she added.

"Also, respond to the public's patience in adhering to the public activity restrictions with concrete results in controlling and handling COVID-19," she urged the government.

Any decision on extending the emergency PPKM, which will end on July 20, 2021, must be based on transparent data, she advised. In addition, the government must support its decision with concrete arguments and objectives, she said.

Indonesia added 44,721 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday (July 18, 2021), taking the total case count to 2,877,476, the COVID-19 Response Task Force reported.

Among the 34 provinces of Indonesia, Jakarta recorded the highest single-day increase in cases at 9,128, followed by West Java (7,777), and East Java (5,726).

Meanwhile, 29,264 people recovered from COVID-19 in a single day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,261,658, with Jakarta reporting the highest number of daily recoveries at 11,857 on Sunday.

With 1,093 people succumbing to the virus in a single day, the COVID-19 death toll rose to 73,582.

The highest number of deaths were seen in East Java at 328.

According to the task force, the number of active cases, or patients receiving treatment and conducting self-isolation increased 14,364 to touch 542,236 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the number of suspected cases swelled to 253,785. Indonesia reported its first coronavirus infections in March, 2020.

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Translator: Imam Budilaksono, Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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