News about Covid-19 still echoes everywhere. The news about new records in daily cases becomes more common, hospitals are starting to run out of rooms, to the sound of ambulances that we heard more frequentin our daily lives. As of June 29, 2021, positive cases in Jakarta increased by 8,348 cases in a day. The positive case curve is increasing. Our struggle is getting harder.

Source: Web corona.jakarta.go.id

From the graph above, we can see that in the last few days of June 2021, the number of cases increased far beyond the usual daily positive cases so far in Jakarta. On 27 June 2021, daily positive cases in Jakarta even reached 9,394 cases. A very worrying number. So, how do we get through this?

Smartcitizen, if there are no strict preventive measures, it is not impossible that the positive case curve will continue to rise and existing health facilities will no longer be able to accommodate Covid-19 positive patients. To prevent an increase in the positive case curve, we can learn from one year of experience during this pandemic on how to flatten the curve.

Learning from the 2020 Pandemic

In 2020, we have succeeded in preventing the upward curve with PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions), which forced us to do more activities at home and closed various crowded places in Jakarta. Then, when we loosened up the PSBB to a Transitional PSBB where several public places can be opened with limited capacity, and long holidays that increased mobility, the number of confirmed cases began to climb again. At that time, the number of Covid-19 infections in Jakarta increased sharply. Several times, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Jakarta reached more than a thousand people per day. On September 3, 2020, for example, daily positive cases of Covid-19 reached 1,406 cases. On September 14, 2020, the PSBB was reimposed. Governor Anies Baswedan finally pulled the ‘emergency brake’ to return to the stricter PSBB. 

 When the PSBB emergency brake was pulled and the community returned to being more disciplined in enforcing health protocols and restricting movement, positive cases slowly began to fall, so the Transitional PSBB was reinstated. If we look at the positive case graph above, in October and November 2020, the curve began to decline.

 (Read Also: The Curve: What is It and Why Do We Need to Flatten It?)

Micro PPKM to Lower the Curve of Covid-19 Cases

In early 2021, the PSBB which is under the authority of the regional government waschanged to PPKM (Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities), with almost the same regulations as the Transitional PSBB. Then, when positive cases began to creep up in mid-June 2021, tightening was carried out again in the form of Micro PPKM.

You may ask, why is there a need for a stricter version of the Micro PPKM as a tightening measure when cases go uphill? Because, in the latest revision of Micro PPKM, there are changes to impose stricter regulations such as: :

• Offices should implement 75% WFH (Work From Home) with with strict health protocols and no mobilization is allowed to other areas;
• Teaching and learning activities remain 100% online;
• The restaurant is opened with a maximum capacity of 25% and dine-in operating until maximum of 8 PM;
• The shopping center opens with a maximum capacity of 25% and closes at 8 PM with stricter health protocols;
• Houses of worship are closed and it is recommended to worship at home;
• HBKB (Car Free Day) is abolished;
• Activities in public areas are not permitted;
• Arts, social, cultural activities, meetings, seminars, and others are prohibited;
• Public transportation, mass transportation and private vehicles, may operate with a maximum of 50% capacity.

There is one thing that is clearly seen as the goal of the Micro PPKM rules, which is physical distancing. Physical distancing is the key to lowering the positive case curve. With regulations that make residents stay at home, not visit public areas, and limit mobility, the risk of Covid-19 transmission will decrease. This is because close physical contact rarely happens when the restriction is on place. Of course, there are still some of us who have to work in essential sectors and leave the house for important reasons. That is why, it is also necessary for us to keep our distance and wear masks while outside the house. In fact, double masks are now recommended for use, with the first layer using a medical mask and the second layer using a cloth mask.

Smartcitizen, if we comply with the Micro PPKM regulations, then we have helped to reduce the positive cases that have been increasing lately. The low transmission of the Covid-19 virus will also allow our health facilities to survive and health workers not to be overwhelmed in the midst of a pandemic. However, if we do not comply, the cases may increase, increasing the chances of the people closest to us to be exposed to Covid-19.

We have gone through strict PSBB regulations before and it has succeeded in reducing positive cases of Covid-19. Our mobility during the PSBB and the Transitional PSBB was also low, so there is a precedent for us to go through all of this until the curve goes down.

(Read also: Comparing Level of Community Movements during a Pandemic)

Let's do what we can to end the pandemic

Smartcitizen, in the midst of the surge in Covid-19 cases, various efforts continue to be made, one of which is the Covid-19 vaccination. With the Covid-19 vaccination, the chance that someone will be infected is lower, and even if infected, the risk of severe illness will be avoided. To reduce the positive case curve to a minimum and end the pandemic, we must do what we can by participating the Covid-19 vaccination, continue to strictly implement health protocols, and also help the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to disperse crowds by reporting PPKM violations through JAKIapp. Let's protect each other and continue to fight to end the pandemic!