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May
A few days ago, the government of Indonesia issued Circular No. 4 of 2020 concerning the Criteria for Limiting Travel for Persons in the Context of the Covid-19 Handling. In the Circular Letter issued by the Task Force for the Acceleration of Covid-19 Handling, the criteria for the exclusion of traveling by public transportation are for certain people who must do activities related to handling Covid-19. Such people are those who work in government or private institutions that carry out service activities for the Acceleration of Covid-19 Handling, specifically in the fields of defense, security and public order, health services, basic services, supporting services for basic services, and services of important economic functions.
Other exceptions are made for patients who need emergency health services or people whose core family members have been seriously ill or have died. In addition, the exception is also for repatriation of Indonesian citizens abroad, especially Migrant Workers and students and the repatriation of people for special reasons by the government to the area of origin, in accordance with applicable regulations.
This Circular regulates the requirements that must be met before traveling using public transportation such as planes, ships, trains and inter-city buses, namely by showing ID cards, letter of assignments, negative test results of Covid-19, and so forth.
Although the requirements are quite strict, supervision still needs to be done. It is possible that there are certain elements who try to take advantage of this opportunity by manipulating the required documents just because they want to go home or on vacation. It is important to do an earlier and more thorough examination to avoid violations. One more thing that is also important is to ensure that transport companies and passengers continue to run the Covid-19 health protocol, such as physical distancing while in the mode of transportation.
May
The issue of the death of Kim Jong-un - North Korea's Leader, has been revealed. After rumours about his illness and death in early April and three weeks absence, the North Korean Leader appeared to inaugurate a factory. Speculation about Kim's whereabouts and health condition peaked when he did not attend the anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, who was the founder of North Korea. Moreover, the North Korean Leader was again not seen when he was to receive a World War II medal from Russian President, Vladimir Putin. The award was given because Kim preserved the memory of Soviet soldiers killed in North Korea, according to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.
The world indeed often speculates about the condition and existence of the North Korean Leader. This is certainly inseparable from North Korea's bargaining position in terms of world nuclear weapons control. Kim's disappearance from the public occurred when Pyongyang's talks with Washington regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons came to a halt, after three meetings between Leader Kim Jong-un and US President, Donald Trump. If Kim is unable to continue the talk or even dies first, it will increase uncertainty in this negotiation process. Naturally, the international world then highlighted the absence of Kim Jong-un with various speculations.
For North Korea itself, the absence of Kim Jong-un is also influential, because this supreme leader’s authority includes the ruling Labour Party and also the military. All major decisions require his approval. The absence of Kim Jong-un means the vacuum in some positions of North Korean life, not to mention the emergence of a new issue about the construction of one more nuclear reactor on the North Korean peninsula.
The world is indeed in the midst of uncertainty, whether it concerns nuclear weapons, conflicts in various regions, or the current hot issue, the Corona pandemic (Covid-19). The existence and condition of Kim Jong-un's health completes this uncertainty.
May
The distress that occurred simultaneously in all corners of the earth, apparently is able to move the conscience of the world leaders to join hands to fight it. The COVID 19 pandemic, which is spread throughout the world, encourages national leaders to join forces against, overcome and prevent it.
Solidarity against the COVID emerged at a meeting of leaders from around the world held by the European Union on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Although conducted online, the distance between countries did not dampen the commitment of 40 state leaders to jointly fight COVID 19.
As revealed by European Union President Ursula von der Leyen, who hosted the meeting, leaders of countries and governments agreed to donate funds to develop Corona vaccines and finance researches for Covid 19 patients. Donations are not only made by government leaders on behalf of the country, but also by research institutes, UN and non-profit or philanthropic organizations. Donations collected reached 8 billion US dollars or 120 trillion rupiah. France, Germany and Saudi Arabia promised aid of around 8 trillion rupiah each. Japan even promised donations of more than 12 trillion rupiah. The European Union president also noted the commitment of singer Madonna to contribute at least 15 billion rupiah. Countries that did not participate in the meeting initiated by the European Union, were the United States and Russia. While China, the first country to be infected by Corona in December 2019, was only represented by its Ambassador.
Global Solidarity to combat this distress is the first time happened. As the world leaders said at the meeting, this was the first joint movement ever took place.
The realization of a joint movement between government, along with international organizations, non-profit bodies, foundations, professionals, artists, industry and scientists, at least shows that globally Solidarity can be realized on the basis of awareness of overcoming problems. This can be fresh wind amid disputes between countries, armed conflicts and hostility.
Hopefully this initiative to overcome global problems will not end with the discovery of the Corona and Convid 19 vaccines. So that the dream of a peaceful world can be realized.
May
Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Indonesia at the end of March 2020, the government has appealed to the community to limit activities outside the home by carrying out learning, working and worshiping activities at home. The home study policy was supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture with the issuance of Circular Number 4 of 2020 which contained the implementation of educational policies in the emergency period of the corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Ministry of Education and Culture also applies a temporary school closure policy and moves the teaching and learning process from school to home. With this policy, the entire teaching and learning process from teachers to students is done online.
For some Indonesian people, especially in urban areas, accessing the internet is not difficult. The internet has become a part of people's lives in this country. Recent research data from the Hootsuite content management service and the social media marketing agency We Are Social in a report titled "Digital 2020" says that currently, 64 percent of the total population in Indonesia has been connected to the internet.
However, what about people who live in rural or border areas who cannot access the internet because of the lack of available networks and limited fund?
Difficulties in organizing online learning activities were conveyed by Titis Kartikawati, a teacher in Sanggau, West Kalimantan, during a virtual press conference entitled "Inspirations of Education Fighters during the Pandemic Period COVID-19" in Jakarta, Saturday (05/02/2020). She said that not all regions in Sanggau have internet networks because there are so many blank spots in the area. Besides, most parents work as farmers or vegetable traders, so buying internet quota is not their priority.
Teaching and learning activities during COVID-19 pandemic are not only the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Culture, teachers, and parents, but also the responsibility of all levels of Indonesian society, including the media. Public television (TVRI) and radio (RRI), for example, are media that participate in broadcasting learning programs for students at home. This method helps teachers in delivering subject matter to students, especially for those living in remote areas who do not have internet access.
Hopefully, the obstacles encountered in carrying out teaching and learning activities will not dampen the enthusiasm of teachers and students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. In any case, both during the pandemic and normal conditions, teaching and learning activities must still be carried out.
May
The number of deaths from Covid-19 in European countries reached 120,140 at the end of last week (CNN data 25/4). The highest case of death occurred in Italy, followed by Spain, France and England. Citing AFP, there are at least 2, 82 million cases of corona virus in the world with 60 percent of the total deaths occurred on the European Continent. But since the beginning of April the case of the spread of the corona virus in Europe began to slow down. It is hoped that the conducive situation will continue into May 2020.
European countries began to prepare for loosening of their area restrictions / lockdowns. Italy, for example, will begin to loosen the restrictions gradually starting on 4 May. The Netherlands plans to open lockdown on May 11, while continuing to take strict steps. Schools in the Netherlands will open on June 1, while cafes and restaurants will open on May 19. Germany, like Italy, will loosen lockdown on May 4. While Spain plans to stop lockdown in the second half of May 2020.
For European countries, it seems that May brought new enthusiasm after the previous months were overwhelmed by this corona virus. However, there are still many other countries in various parts of the world just entering the beginning of the pandemic. It is estimated that this will still take a few months to control.
It is hoped that the easing of Regional Restrictions in several European countries this May will be successful and does not pose a risk of new transmission. So that it can be a reference for other regions that are currently still struggling to overcome the Corona Covid19 virus attack.
April
The development of the Covid-19 pandemic in various parts of the world became a determinant of government policies in countries affected by the dangerous spread of virus. In Europe, several countries plan to stop the Lockdown policy. From Vienna, it was reported that the Austrian government would immediately loosen the lockdown next week. If it is carried out then in the European continent, Austria is the first country to reopen shopping centers and restaurants, although physical distancing between visitors would still be maintained. Apart from Austria, another country that will soon be easing the lockdown is Denmark. Meanwhile, the Italian government, after two months banning its citizens from leaving the house, is also beginning to relax the lockdown. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would relax restrictions on certain parts of the country this weekend. Italy, which started the lockdown on March 9, is the country most affected by the Covid 19th pandemic. In Eastern Europe, the Government of the Czech Republic will revoke travel restrictions and allow foreigners to enter the country.
The policy to end the lockdown will also be carried out by the Iranian government. Even the lockdown in Tehran reportedly has also been revoked. Several provinces in Iran have begun to relax tight restrictions last week by allowing citizens to travel. Even so, schools and sports activities are still not permitted yet. The World Health Organization, warned the Iranian government that COVID 19 was still raging in the country. Iran is an Asian country after China, which suffered the Corona virus attack with the most death toll. Some members of Parliament and government officials have even been infected by the easily spread virus.
In the United States, the Central Government encouraged easing of rules in several states. Through his twitter President Donald Trump gave signals for loosening lockdowns in Michigan, and Virginia. New York, said to be the heart of the economy and trade of the United States, has been pressed by its citizens to end the lockdown. New Yorkers are urging the government to immediately revoke rules deemed to severely limit social and economic activities.
Loosening of the lock down is of course carried out with consideration of decreasing corona Covid-19 spread and the number of infected in each country. Western Europe seriously felt the economic impact of the Corona attack and the United States too. Though of course, on a different scale. Therefore, policy changes related to the development of the Covid-19 virus, differ from one country to another. Iran and the United States, for example, consider ending the lockdown because they feel the corona's adverse impact on the country's economy.
It is still uncertain when the Covid-19 pandemic will really end. So it cannot be ensured, when the global economy and the economy of each country will gradually recover. It could be that after corona, there will be changes in economic and political order and relations between countries.
April
The International Monetary Fund -IMF predicts the impacts of the Corona virus or Covid-19 outbreak will be the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s, or almost a century ago. This is very reasonable because due to the Covid-19 pandemic, almost all economic sectors in the world have been totally paralyzed. Starting from the airlines to the manufacturing industry, the impacts have reduced and even stopped operations and have to lay off employees. The reason is that many countries in the world impose restrictions on the movement of their citizens to break this deadly virus chain of spread.
The predicted negative global economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic certainly hits the global economic growth. Indonesia also undergoes the adverse effects. This year, the IMF predicts that the Indonesian economy will only grow 0.5% from the previous 5.0% in 2019.
Behind the threat of economic recession as a result of the paralysized some economic sectors, there are sectors that have a great opportunity to be the driving force of the Indonesian economy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Economic researcher from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Abra Tallatov in an online seminar in Jakarta on Friday night (17/4) stated this. According to him, they are the health sector and information communication technology (ICT) industry such as e-commerce or online trading.
It’s worth knowing that during this pandemic, many people need medical equipment such as masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical staff, which are increasingly rare and expensive. This situation prompted several business sectors to become producers of medical devices. This transition, in addition to making it easier for the public and medical staff to obtain medical devices at affordable prices, also helps reduce unemployment.
Besides the medical devices, e-commerce business is also a major public need for transactions in the Covid-19 pandemic. Because people are afraid to shop directly or offline, some purchases are made online through an e-commerce platform. No wonder many local e-commerce platforms have emerged, especially to meet the needs for food. This helps consumers in the process of buying goods and farmers and traders market their wares.
The Covid-19 pandemic indeed paralyzes the economy, but that does not mean people should accept the situation with resignation. Many can be utilized and become a new source of income for people who are creative and can see opportunities. It is hoped, albeit indirectly, the opportunity can still increase national economic growth.
April
Wuhan has become an open city again after declaring zero percent of new Covid-19 virus. However, latest data shows there are still new cases of corona in China. Some infected people even died in Jia City, Hinan. Similar facts have also to be faced by South Korea. After briefly controlling the infection rate with large-scale testing, it was found out that people who had recovered, felt recurrence of Covid 19 attack symptoms, plus a number of new cases. Singapore which was able to suppress the smallest infection rates compared to other Asean countries, now faces an increase in the potential for infection which is quite high.
There are several factors that can be examined from the cases of China, South Korea and Singapore. China received a number of new cases of corona virus infection after Wuhan was declared an open city. So when a country reaches the peak of the first corona attack, it seems after a long pause, a second wave of attacks emerges.
According to Dicky Budiawan, an Indonesian Epidemiologist, doctoral candidate from Griffith University Australia, the second wave of corona virus is when an area has reached the peak of corona virus pressure, then there is a decrease. After a phase of decreasing number of infections, a surge in cases occurs again. Of the second surge with a rate of 3-10 Percent of the population, 90 Percent is the population that has not been exposed before.
So referring to it, the conditions of each country can be examined. Most countries in the world have not yet reached the peak of Covid-19 outbreak. After that happened, then they must prepare to face the second attack.
The journey to deal with this virus still seems to be quite long, due to the potential for attacks and even to the second wave. Efforts for a vaccine discovery are now continue being carried out by several countries. The world is now waiting anxiously for the result, so that Covid19 virus can be curbed once and for all. Hopefully, there will be no more infected people or death toll then, and things could return to normal again.
April
Government Launches Pre-Work Card for those impacted by Covid-19 pandemic
Written by Maryati
Last weekend, the Government officially opened a registration for the Pre-Work Card program through the official website www.prakerja.go.id. The Pre-Work or Pre-Employment Card is for the training cost assistance program and incentives for workers, job seekers, and micro and small business-people who have lost their jobs or experienced a weakening purchasing power due to the Corona-virus Disease 2019 Covid-19 pandemic.
The continued and widespread of the Covid-19 has made the government issue regulations that forbid people from gathering or leaving the house unless it is very urgent. In Jakarta, the provincial government has even issued a Governor Regulation No. 33 of 2020 concerning the implementation of the Large-Scale Social Restrictions in Handling Covid-19 pandemic.
The Governor's Regulation, which has been effective since Friday (10/4), regulates various activities in Jakarta City, related to the economic, social, cultural, religious, and educational matters. Certainly, this has an impact on economic activity or people's purchasing power. Declining purchasing power has resulted in the closure of several businesses and led to termination of employment (layoffs).
According to Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah, there are currently at least 1.5 million workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Of this number, 10 percent or around 150,000 people have lost their jobs, while another 90 percent are still temporarily forced to stay at home or laid off.
To help them, the government then launched the Pre-Work or Pre-Employment Card program. Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto hopes that the program is able to increase the competence, productivity and competitiveness of the workforce, and can help the cost of living amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The total budget provided by the government for this year is Rp 20 trillion. Each recipient of the Pre-Employment Card will receive a total benefit package worth Rp 3,550,000. These funds are provided in the form of assistance with training costs of Rp 1 million. Then, there is the first post-training incentive worth Rp 600,000 per month to be given for 4 months with a total amount worth Rp 2.4 million. There is also an incentive after filling out an evaluation survey of Rp 50,000 per survey for 3 times with a total amount worth Rp 150,000. The assistance from the government can be used to purchase various trainings on the specified digital partner platforms.
April
Global uncertainties due to the Covid-19 pandemic are still felt. Almost no country can be sure how and when its territory will be free from it. Only Wuhan, China experienced the peak period of the Covid-19 outbreak and has now declared zero percent of new cases of infection. Even then, there is a big question; is it possible that the covid-19 outbreak may return to attack?
Japan, which was predicted to be able to control the situation without many protocol restrictions, apparently decided to lockdown. Italy, which initially seemed to be able to deal with this virus attack, turned out to be the country with the highest death toll to date.
The United States is one of the countries that is now experiencing a peak of Covid-19 attacks. The number of deaths in New York is even equivalent to the death rate in Italy.
Panic and uncertainty are felt everywhere. The World Health Organization -WHO is expected to be able to control the situation and provide direction so that this global pandemic can be resolved immediately. But in reality not all countries are satisfied with the WHO's performance. US President Donald Trump, take for example, expressed his dissatisfaction to WHO Director General, Tedros Adhonom Gebreyesus. The U.S. even threatened to stop paying contributions to the World Health Organization. WHO is expected to play a greater role in responding to this pandemic. The threat of the United States shows disharmony in a pandemic atmosphere. The U.S. considers WHO as more Chinese centric. There are a number of WHO policy directives which are considered by the United States to be more favorable to China. While most of the WHO funding is said to come from the U.S.
In the current global pandemic, it is natural that on one hand, many countries expect WHO’s greater role. On the other hand, WHO itself hopes that the efforts to save the world from the Covid-19 pandemic are not politicized.
Hopefully, this global anxiety and uncertainty will soon shake off and all countries affected, along with the WHO, can deal with it and recover immediately.