"The public has responded to a decline in the transmission rate and relaxation of community activities restrictions in a euphoric manner and has begun to ignore the COVID-19 health protocols. For instance, in Jakarta, many people have ignored the health protocols," Pantouw noted in a written statement received here on Saturday.
Pantouw confirmed that the COVID-19 transmission rate in the country was on a decline, and the hospital occupancy rate too had decreased, so the government had begun to offer leeway in the imposition of the community activities restriction policy.
Amid less restrictions, the level of community mobility has increased. Unfortunately, the level of community discipline in the process has decreased.
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As a precautionary measure against the emergence of the third wave of COVID-19, the government has adopted some measures, such as increasing the capacity for COVID-19 testing and expediting information on health protocols to increase public adherence.
The government is also intensifying COVID-19 vaccinations, limiting entry from overseas, encouraging the use of the PeduliLindungi application, and pushing for the development of anti-COVID-19 medicines.
Collaboration and coordination must be strengthened through the involvement of various stakeholders, included in the pentahelix format, in order to optimally address the pandemic situation.
These stakeholders include government agencies, such as ministries, the National Defense Force, the National Police, the public order officers, the media, academics, experts, the private sector, health workers, and volunteers.
"We will continue to work together to reduce the number of infections," Pantouw stressed.
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The public is advised to always adhere to the health protocols and think critically in receiving information, so as to avoid false news or hoaxes.
Moreover, people are advised to be wary of the infodemic surrounding COVID-19.
The infodemic leads to surfeit information about a problem that can interfere with efforts to find solutions to the problem.
The rise of the infodemic containing false news, hoaxes, and rumors about COVID-19 among members of the public can worsen the pandemic situation.
Hoaxes or false news spread rapidly since people do not check an information's credibility before sharing it with others and do not understand about the impact of the information in future.
Pantouw noted that the COVID-19 Task Force was working with the Communication and Informatics Ministry, Police Force, all government institutions, private sector, media, and others, to continually educate the people, so they always select and share information that was proven to be true in order to stop the spread of these hoaxes.
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Translator: Martha H S, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
