People with COVID-19 and those who have been in close contact with them have been wandering out and about, especially at malls, data from test and trace app PeduliLindungi shows.
During a press conference yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said the 1,695 people from the aforementioned group, who are color-coded black in the app, have been ignoring isolation mandates to conduct activities in public since PeduliLindungi became a screening requirement prior to entering public facilities during the Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM).
“A lot of these people were detected as they attempted to enter malls,” Dante said.
The ministry did not say how diligent security guards at malls have been in turning away those who don’t meet PeduliLindungi’s requirements to enter.
In the app, those who have received two doses of the vaccine and have had no history of close contact with COVID-19 patients are color-coded green. This group is able to pass PeduliLindungi screenings at public facilities as they please.
Those who have received only one dose of the vaccine or are COVID-19 survivors are color-coded yellow, and are subject to further review before entering public spaces.
The unvaccinated are color-coded red while those with COVID-19 or their close contacts are color-coded black. Both are forbidden from entry to public spaces.
The colors pop up in the app upon scanning a check-in QR code at public facilities.
During the same press conference, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who’s overseeing the implementation of PPKM, said that, moving forward, those in the black category who insist on carrying out activities in public will be ordered to check in at an isolation facility.
As of Sept. 5, Luhut said 20.9 million people have used the screening function in PeduliLindungi to access public facilities.
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