Banjarmasin complies with decision to extend PPKM level 4

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Banjarmasin City Government assured that it complies with the government's decision to extend the enforcement of public activities restriction (PPKM) level 4 until September 20, 2021.

Even though, said Mayor H Ibnu Sina at the City Hall on Tuesday (Sept 7, 2021) that the results of internal evaluation of his government referred to lowering level from 4 to 3 based on the city's COVID-19 cases that continued to decline.

"The central government may have other considerations, we will just follow what the central government decides," he said.

He acknowledged that he was surprised by the decision that was announced last night by the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN) that Banjarmasin was included in 23 districts and cities whose PPKM level 4 status was extended.

In South Kalimantan, the level 4 PPKM was also extended in Banjarbaru City and Kotabaru District from September 7 to 20, 2021.

For Banjarmasin the decision makes the city to enforce the public restriction for eight consecutive weeks.

In fact, Ibnu Sina said, within six weeks of PPKM level 4, the Banjarmasin COVID-19 Task Force has an assessment that it should have been out of level 4.

This, he said, is based on the evaluation of three indicators for determining the level of PPKM, namely daily and weekly cases, that had declined significantly.

Even the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) as another indicator was in level 2. For example, the city-owned Sultan Suriansyah Hospital, which redied 125 beds for COVID patients, but only six patients were being treated.

While the data reports of each urban village in the city showed that there is no longer a red zone.

"Insya Allah (God Willing) we are optimistic that we can lower the level later. Of course with good cooperation with the community to continue to apply strict health protocols," said Ibnu Sina.