The government is more responsive than aggressive in monitoring public activitiesJakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Zulfikar Arse Sadikin has called on the government to continue to follow measures applied for the COVID-19 Delta variant to control the recently emerging Omicron variant.
"We must persist with the same control strategy for the Delta variant to contain the Omicron variant," Sadikin said here on Tuesday.
Regional governments must continue to remain on the frontline of the national COVID-19 pandemic handling efforts that have drawn worldwide acclaim and been emulated in several countries, the legislator affirmed.
Sadikin is convinced that the government would continue to maintain a humane approach rather than pursue an aggressive approach in enforcing measures to contain the pandemic.
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"The government is more responsive than aggressive in monitoring public activities," he noted.
Despite high public adherence to the enforced health protocols, the legislator observed that complacency among members of the public began to appear as the COVID-19 infection rate declined.
The most feasible COVID-19 prevention strategy is to implement strict health protocols, for which the authority must always remind residents to adhere to them to prevent contracting the infection, he remarked.
"This is our collective duty to prevent the COVID-19 third wave from occurring in future, as the newly detected virus variants are becoming more dangerous," Sadikin said.
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Meanwhile, fellow DPR member Dyah Roro Esti reminded that every sector in society has its role in promoting and reminding residents regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Moreover, as the top-down approach remains essential, regional governments must continue to monitor COVID-19 cases in their regions and enact measures to contain the infection," Esti said.
The legislator urged the authority to maintain strict health protocols enforced, for instance, by necessitating evidence of COVID-19 negative status obtained by PCR or antigen tests before attending a public event and enforcing health protocols during an event.
"The central and regional authorities must continue to disseminate information about COVID-19 through languages easily understood by residents," she said.
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Translator: Boyke Ledy W, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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