"Facing the period of Christmas and New Year holidays, PPKM will continue to be conducted because it has proven effective in suppressing (COVID-19) cases," Adisasmito said at a virtual press conference accessed from here on Thursday.
Regarding the PPKM enactment, Adisasmito asked the public to keep complying with government policies. He also said he hoped that local governments will supervise and control the mobility of residents to prevent an increase in cases.
Adisasmito, who is also coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force Expert Team, observed that based on the previous spike in cases, it seems the number of cases usually increases when there is a relaxation in restrictions without any policy modifications made for each region.
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Meanwhile, micro-PPKM that is conducted simultaneously in all regions to the level of neighborhoods (RT) and hamlets (RW) has proved efficient in reducing COVID-19 cases, he noted.
The micro PPKM has reduced cases by 134 percent in fourteen weeks despite the easing of public activities by 50 percent, he expounded.
"It should be a lesson in facing the Christmas and New Year period that has the risk to increase COVID-19 cases again," Adisasmito said.
He stressed that the emergency PPKM and Level 4 policies are evidence that emergency restrictions applied throughout the regions, adapted to their conditions, can suppress cases effectively.
As the 2021 holiday period draw close, policies need to be prepared based on the situation in each region, he stressed.
The policies should be in conjunction with easing of restrictions like the one limiting attendance to 50-percent of capacity, very thorough supervision, and a restrictive scenario if there is a significant trend in cases, he added.
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Translator: Prisca V, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
