Jakarta (ANTARA) - The successful enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) to curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities will depend on public discipline as well as the authorities' consistency in implementing the policy, General Secretary of Muhammadiyah's Central Executive Board Abdul Mu'ti has said.

"The public activity restrictions must be imposed on all parties," he remarked in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The authorities' consistency, for instance, is challenged by such cases as those making overseas trips or arriving in Indonesia, including foreign workers from a certain country, he said.

Regarding the government's decision to extend the enforcement of the PPKM in the islands of Java and Bali until July 25, he said the government has done the right thing.

According to him, the three-week community activity restrictions imposed from July 3, 2021 did not significantly suppress the spread of COVID-19 or impact the health of the public.

The Muhammadiyah Central Executive Board has offered several suggestions in regard to the extended enforcement of the partial lockdown, including a need to apply a comprehensive communication with the public, he said.

"(The communication) needs (to be) humane and persuasive approaches (need to be adopted). (On the other hand) procedural and strict approaches also need to be ended," he remarked.

Social aid from government needs to be allocated as soon as possible in order to ensure the fulfillment of the people's basic needs, he said. Lastly, vaccinations must be done as soon as possible through the cooperation of many parties, he added.

President Joko Widodo on Tuesday announced the extension of the public activity restrictions until July 25, 2021 but the government pledged to ease them gradually starting July 26, 2021, if the COVID-19 spread declines.

According to President Widodo, the restrictions have been enforced to suppress the spread of the virus as well as reduce the number of people seeking treatment in hospitals.

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Translator: M Zulfikar, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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