The West Papua administration has enforced emergency public activity restrictions in Manokwari district and Sorong City for eight days -- from July 12, 2021 till July 20, 2021 -- to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The decision to impose the partial lockdown was made after considering the recent surge in infections, the condition in hospitals, and the vaccination rates in the two areas, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan said here on Monday.
The imposition of the partial lockdown is supported by assessment level 4 criteria such as hospital bed occupancy, which has exceeded 65 percent, and a significant spike in COVID-19 cases, he informed.
Vaccination rates in the two areas, which have remained below 50 percent, are also among the parameters considered, Mandacan said, adding that West Papua remains categorized as a red zone, or an area with a very high risk of infection.
Since the start of the pandemic last year, West Papua has recorded 13,476 confirmed coronavirus cases, he noted.
During the partial lockdown, the provincial government has ordered all shopping malls, houses of worship, offices, shops, tourist sites, and public facilities to remain closed, he added.
People are prohibited from outdoor activities, Mandacan said. Essential sectors such as banking, healthcare services, energy and staple food supplies, and export-oriented industries are exempt from the partial lockdown, he added.
Those involved in logistics, food industries, transportation, construction, disaster mitigation, nation's strategic projects, and provision of basic necessities will be allowed to operate, but in compliance with health protocols, the governor said.
The COVID-19 pandemic initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and subsequently spread across the globe, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Indonesian government announced the nation's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
Since then, the central and regional governments have been working to slow infections by promulgating health protocols.
Emergency public activity restrictions have also been imposed on the islands of Java and Bali from July 3 - July 20, 2021 to address an alarming resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
As part of efforts to win the fight against COVID-19, the Indonesian government has been conducting a nationwide vaccination program to contain infections since January 13, 2021. (INE)
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