Jakarta’s beloved malls can finally reopen after modifications were made in the latest extension of the Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM) protocol, though only those with COVID-19 vaccine certificates are allowed to enter.
The central government extended the multi-tiered protocol through at least Aug. 16 yesterday evening, but relaxed some restrictions amid a decline in cases in several regions, including Jakarta, where Level 4 PPKM — containing the strictest restrictions — is enforced.
As outlined in a Home Affairs Ministry decree outlining the latest PPKM rules, the most notable of those relaxations include allowing shopping malls, which were previously ordered to shut other than for supermarkets, drug stores, and banking services, to open to 25 percent capacity.
Under the revised rules, malls can open from 10am to 8pm, but those under the age of 12 and over the age of 70 are prohibited from entry. Cinemas and children’s playgrounds located in malls are still ordered to shut, while mall restaurants are still not allowed to serve dine in customers.
Though it was not specified in the decree, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who’s overseeing the national implementation of PPKM, said only those who are vaxxed can enter malls for the time being.
“They must use the PeduliLindungi app [to show their vax certificate in order to enter malls],” he said during a briefing yesterday.
On social media, some major Jakarta malls have been posting about the vaccine requirement for entry. PeduliLindungi is a government-developed mobile app first created for COVID-19 surveillance but now also contains digital copies of users’ COVID-19 vaccine certificates. You can download it from the Google Playstore and the Apple App Store.
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Other than Jakarta, Level 4 PPKM cities that have been permitted to reopen malls under the same conditions are Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya.
In addition to reopening malls, the latest PPKM also allows for houses of worship to open to 25 percent capacity or, at most, 20 people. Other restrictions on working from the office and domestic travel remain largely unchanged from previous iterations of PPKM.
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