(Yet Another) PPKM Extension, But Tweaks to Help Businesses
President Joko Widodo has extended Level 4 PPKM (previously Emergency PPKM) and Level 3 PPKM until August 2, but has tweaked some of the restrictions to help business. In Java and Bali, 95 cities and regencies will be impacted, with 33 under PPKM Level 3 based on World Health Organization (WHO) assessments. The government will also continue to implement PPKM for regions categorized as Level 2 and Level 1. Overall, both Level 4 and Level 3 PPKM require online schooling and work from home (WFH) at 100 percent for non-essential sectors.
With concerns over the economic impact of PPKM, some restrictions on allowing businesses to operate have been relaxed. For PPKM Level 4, public markets that sell non-essential goods are now allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity until 15:00. Street vendors, grocery shops, laundries, among others, are allowed to open with strict health protocols until 20:00. Food stalls can operate with strict health protocols until 20:00 with a maximum of three people eating at a time; dine-in guests must eat within 20 minutes. Malls will remain temporarily closed but merchants are allowed to conduct online sales, and restaurants can accept deliveries/takeaways. For regions in PPKM Level 3, shopping centers and malls can operate at 25 percent capacity until 17:00, while food stalls can cater to 25 percent capacity with a maximum eating time of 30 minutes for dine-in guests.
In terms of mobility, public transportation will run at 50 percent capacity. Domestic travelers that use their own personal vehicles or long-distance public transportation must show their vaccination card indicating they have received at least the first dose. Those boarding planes need to show their PCR result (taken no more than two days before departure), while those using private vehicles must show an antigen test result (taken one day before departure). Regions under PPKM Level 3 also require passengers to show their PCR and antigen test results, and public transportation can operate at 70 percent.
Fluctuating testing rates are the main challenge in accurately gauging the effectiveness of PPKM in curbing virus transmission. From July 21 to July 25, the number of tested persons rose from 153,330 to 294,470 before falling to 173,472. This is compounded by discrepancies between the regional government and central government data. On July 21, LaporCovid-19 reported that the data on death tolls it sourced from the city and provincial governments had roughly 20,000 more cases compared with the data from the Covid-19 Task Force. So we cannot be complacent about the current number of reported cases and must remain vigilant in upholding strict health and social distancing protocols.
Related links:
- https://nasional.tempo.co/amp/1487170/breaking-news-jokowi-resmi-perpanjang-ppkm-level-4-sampai-2-agustus-2021
- https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-5656414/33-daerah-turun-status-ke-ppkm-level-3?tag_from=wpm_nhl_7&_ga=2.118129545.1067128749.1626924004-342028556.1624689827
- https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20210723084158-20-671145/sengkarut-data-kematian-covid-pusat-daerah-selisih-20-ribu
Alarming Rise in Child Covid Deaths: New York Times
Doctors say a surge in child Covid deaths in Indonesia, with hundreds in recent weeks and many aged under five is challenging the idea that only adults are at risk from the pandemic.
With more than 100 deaths a week this month, Indonesia now has the worst mortality rate in the world for children, according to the head of the Indonesian Pediatric Society, Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, The New York Times reports
Dr. Aman said children now make up 12.5 percent of the country’s confirmed cases and more than 150 children died during the week of July 12 alone, with half the recent deaths involving those younger than five.
“The government has never taken this pandemic seriously from the beginning,” Alexander Raymond Arifianto, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told The New York Times. “The voice of the actual experts in how to best handle the pandemic is simply not being heard.”
Related link:
Rp 1.2 Million in PPKM Social Assistance Rolled Out
The government is to distribute Rp 1.2 million in social assistance during Level 4 PPKM to roughly one million warung owners and street vendors under the Presidential Productivity Aid for Micro Enterprises scheme, Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartanto said in an online press conference yesterday, July 25. The government also aims to give Rp 1.2 million in assistance for three million micro-entrepreneurs and extend help for merchants in malls and trade centers to help pay their rent.
Related link:
Death Figures Still High
Indonesia recorded 28,228 new daily cases today, July 26, for a total of 3,194,733 since the pandemic began. There was also a worrying rise of 1,487 deaths to reach a total of 84,766. The number of recovered patients was 40,374 for a total of 2,549,692.
Related link:
AmCham Cares: FedEx
FedEx has provided an online Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) learning portal for employees in various markets in the Asia-Pacific region since October last year, as the company strongly believes that learning is a great way to raise awareness and understanding.
This Blue Ocean Brain online learning portal is a digital learning platform that provides bite-size articles and videos to elevate thinking and expand knowledge around DEI concepts. It also provides engaging mini-games for managers to use at team meetings to facilitate discussions.
To further expand the reach and impact of DEI learning resources, volunteers select relevant articles and translate them into local languages for all employees and managers in local markets.
Envisioning Indonesia’s Future: Education Minister Nadiem Makarim Podcast
To Keynote AmCham Indonesia’s first-ever higher education summit, Reaching Higher (July 13-14, 2021), Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim chatted live with AmCham Managing Director A Lin Neumann on the future of education in Indonesia. Join us for this full version of the fireside chat, which covers Nadiem’s vision for re-tooling Indonesian education and outlines collaboration opportunities for US and international universities.
Click the banner below to listen to the podcast.
Challenging Business Climate for Services Committee
AmCham Indonesia held another virtual Services Committee Meeting under the leadership of committee chair Peter Meyer today, July 26, attended by a variety of industry sectors, such as insurance, property, security, IT, education, and tax consultancy. The insurance industry is facing a slump in areas such as travel and life insurance following the implementation of PPKM, while security providers are concerned that PPKM may trigger protests.
Security providers warned that data theft and internet fraud are increasingly prevalent, so companies must ensure their data is secured. The same concern was echoed by the IT sector, which warned that personal data security must be enhanced as a lot of people are trying to steal personal data. The education sector has also been heavily affected by the implementation of PPKM, as some schools have postponed their hybrid-class plans. A new immigration policy restricts foreign workers, including those involved in Indonesia’s national strategic projects, from entering the country due to emergency PPKM. This has had a profound impact on the moving services sector as well as property.
From the overall “temperature take” from the participants, the business climate is of great concern due to the worsening of the Covid-19 situation in Indonesia and uncertainty regarding PPKM measures, with around 50 percent of members having a neutral outlook, 38 percent negative, and only 13 percent positive, a sharp downturn in the last two months.
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Support Independent Journalism: Subscribe to The Jakarta Post
In these difficult times, our hometown English language newspaper, The Jakarta Post, is more important than ever. Given the difficulties of physical circulation and the economic slump, the Post needs to boost its online subscribers – a goal we heartily support at AmCham Indonesia. Quality English language news is vital for our businesses, our home offices, and the flow of information out of Indonesia. It is for this reason, that we are urging all of our members and readers to subscribe to JP! Information is what will help get us through this crisis. Below is information about how to sign up.
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AmCham Office and Events
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The AmCham Office is on the work-from-home status and all face-to-face meetings and events have been postponed. We are having a number of meetings online using the Zoom platform. You will be notified of virtual meetings as they are scheduled.
What is Your Company Doing on COVID-19?
Please let us know what measures your company may be taking in the form of donations and other assistance to help Indonesia during this time of confusion and concern. Contact [email protected] with your news. We would like to publicize the ways that our AmCham companies are pitching in.
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We urge you to send us press releases and other information that we can pass on to the broader AmCham community. If you have items of interest, please email material to [email protected]. Follow this link to information provided by the US Embassy
Stay safe, call a doctor if you have a high fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. Stay healthy above all else.
AmCham Update is AmCham's regular newsletter on developments related to the pandemic crisis and other issues in Indonesia. It is edited by AmCham Managing Director A Lin Neumann and written by the AmCham Staff. Paul L Goddard is the Managing Editor
