Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – University of Indonesia epidemiologist Pandu Riono on Sunday revealed that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had already requested for a heightened public activity restriction back in May, prior to the emergency PPKM the central government imposed in this month.
Pandu Riono said the two figures had often discussed this plan with the University of Indonesia's Public Health Faculty which was mainly due to the exponential rise in public activity due to the Eid holidays and mass-exodus 'mudik' (Homecoming) tradition that followed.
The epidemiologist claims this team had predicted that the Delta variant would spread havoc in Indonesia.
"We calculated two-folds viral transmissions. When the Delta virus became dominant, the transmission would be rapid and follow the patterns India experienced. This forces a tightened public restriction in Java and Bali. Only applying it in the Jakarta Greater Area will not suffice," said Riono to Tempo on July 4.
He also claims that both Anies Baswedan and Budi Gunadi had pitched this plan in a meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
"They both pitched it in a limited meeting at the Palace but it seems that it was not responded seriously," said Pandu Riono who revealed that Budi Gunadi relentlessly pitched the idea until the government eventually implemented it in July.
He suspects that the plan was met with deaf ears due to the central government's insistence to prioritize economics rather than the public healthcare issue amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Riono said signs of this are evident as the Coordinating Minister of Economics Airlangga Hartarto was appointed to lead the Covid-19 handling and economic recovery national committee (KPC-PEN).