The government should evaluate the PPKM, as the current death rate remains high
Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives (DPR RI) Speaker Puan Maharani has called on the government to evaluate the current enforcement of activity restrictions (PPKM), particularly to unearth factors causal to the high COVID-19 death rate despite the curbs.

"After the extension of PPKM, we could see a declining trend in daily COVID-19 cases, but we should not become complacent, as the COVID-19 death rate remains high," Maharani stated here, Monday.

Maharani stated that despite a decline in the number of daily cases, the government should take into account all necessary measures to curtail the death rate, as the figure has remained above one thousand people a day.

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"The government should evaluate the PPKM, as the current death rate remains high," she noted.

The House Speaker called on the regional governments to refrain from relaxing the PPKM if death rate in their regions remained high while urging them to remain focused on healthcare facilities to ensure provision of sufficient and suitable services to treat COVID-19 patients with various conditions.

"Optimalisation of treatment procedures for COVID-19 patients is necessary. I suggest that regions with high count of COVID-19 cases maximize their centralised isolation centres and health workers' supervision for the patients," she remarked.

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She underscored the criticality of conducting further evaluation of PPKM enforcement in regions with constant daily case spikes, such as in the provinces of Central Java, Bali, West Papua, Central Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Jambi.

The speaker pushed for the relevant authority to intensify testing, tracing, and treatment of COVID-19 patients implemented in concert with other COVID-19 prevention steps, such as vaccination.

"The vaccination drive should not lead us to become negligent to improve other COVID-19 indicators. I urge the authority to ensure that all preventive measures would be in concert since our main duty is to ascertain that the people stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic," Maharani emphasized.


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Translator: Imam B, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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