PRESS RELEASE

Quarantine Dispensation for Officials
Endanger Public Health Amid Omicron Threats

Civil Society Coalition for Public Health Justice

  Edit

Q4: 17 December 2021 – Provisions that contain a dispensation for reducing the duration of the implementation of quarantine to echelon 1 (one) officials are discriminatory and can endanger public health.

First, SE Kasatgas The handling of Covid-19 25/2021 is discriminatory and unfair, because it gives preferential treatment to officials. As stated in No. 5, The quarantine period of 10 x 24 hours as referred to in number 4.e. can be given a dispensation for reducing the duration of the implementation of self-quarantine to Indonesian officials at echelon I (one) level and above based on official or special considerations in accordance with the provisions

SARS-CoV 2 virus knows no position, no gender, no age, and no time. Conversely, anyone can become infected when they come into contact with someone who has been previously infected. Therefore, the privilege of officials in quarantine rules is unacceptable, discriminatory, and unfair. Whereas the previous rule (SE Kasatgas Handling Covid-19 23/2021) did not provide privileges for perpetrators of p foreign travel of certain officials.

Second, SE Kasatgas Handling Covid-19 25/2021 can endanger public health. Amid the threat of new Omicron variants, the government should take more stringent measures to prevent and mitigate the risk of transmission of cases. Therefore, the tightening and centralization of quarantine must be adhered to by everyone including officials to ensure the protection of the health of the entire community from the threat of Covid-19.

Changes in quarantine rules that are blunt to certain officials indicate that this policy is not built on public health science (public health evidence-based policy). The existence of several cases of quarantine violations such as those committed by foreign nationals, celebrities, and members of the House of Representatives should be an evaluation for the government to further tighten the rules and implementation in the field.

Quarantine bribery cases, privileges of certain officials and changes to the quarantine rules of SE Covid-19 25/2021 undermine the sense of justice of the community. Consequently, it is only natural for the public to distrust the government more and more. The privilege of officials in quarantine rules confirms that rotten politicians always cover the mistakes of officials. Public officials should be role models for the public in promoting the best practice of health protocols. Insteadof being a role model, the regulation of opening privilege spaces will further distance public officials from the general public.

Therefore, we, the Civil Society Coalition for Public Health Justice, urge President Joko Widodo to ask the Chairman of the Covid-19 Task Force to revoke the SE Kasatgas Covid-19 25/2021 and replace it with provisions that are more based on science and justice for the community. This needs to be done to provide Omicron threat prevention and protection to the entire community.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Civil Society Coalition for Public Health Justice consists of LaporCovid-19, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI), Lokataru Foundation, Hakasasi.id, Transparency International Indonesia (TII), LBH Jakarta, Pusat Studi Hukum dan Kebijakan Indonesia (PSHK), Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat (Elsam), Persatuan Pendidikan Demokrasi (P2D), Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), LBH Masyarakat, Aliansi Jurnal Independen (A JI) Indonesia, Desantara Foundation.

Contact Person

Aditia Bagus Santoso, YLBHI (081277741836)

Agus Sarwono, TII (08126992667)

Firdaus Ferdiansyah,ReportCovid-19 (087838822426)

  Edit

  Edit

This press release can be downloaded via the following link