Just what is the point of wearing a mask in your own car, especially if you’re driving alone? That is a rule that has come under criticism in Jakarta as the capital restored strict restrictions this week.
Mask-wearing inside one’s own car became a hotly discussed topic after celebrated barista Evani Jesslyn posted a viral video questioning the rule. In the video, she said she was driving to work on her own when she was stopped by officers for pulling down her mask momentarily as she felt out of breath.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFMeN3sgdvL/
What frustrated Evani was how she was made to leave the relatively safe confines of her car and ordered to follow the officers to a sanctioning station, where there was a crowd of people waiting to receive their punishments for other face mask violations. Evani noted that some of the officers wore their masks below their nose.
She eventually paid a IDR55K (US$3.40) fine for her violation.
Wearing a mask in the car is mandated in the Gubernatorial Regulation (Pergub) for the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) that was restored on Sep. 14 following months of relaxed restrictions. However, the regulation does not specify whether or not the rule applies to lone drivers.
Many online have taken the side of Evani in questioning the rule, pointing out that health experts don’t believe it’s necessary.
Bahkan para ahli menyarankan tidak perlu memakai masker dalam berkendara jika:
Sendirian dan di mobil pribadi. pic.twitter.com/BM8Awt24px— Stephanus (@stephanusn) September 16, 2020
Menertibkan gedung2 kantor yang masih rame lebih sulit. Mending nangkepin orang2 yang ga pake masker di mobil pribadi, tetep keliatan kerja https://t.co/HeoDiHHTzJ
— Nathaniel Rayestu (@rayestu) September 16, 2020
Enforcing rules on crowded offices is more difficult. Might as well catch people without masks in their own cars, so it looks like [officials are] working.
Some reasoned that perhaps the rule is necessary in Jakarta where it’s impossible to differentiate between regular cars and ride-sharing cars by license plate alone.
Teguh P Nugroho, who heads the Ombudsman office in Jakarta, said the rule could potentially take the focus away from higher-risk transmission sources.
“It’s just a waste of time and effort. There are sources with far more potential for transmission,” he said.
“There is practically no likelihood for interaction with strangers inside one’s own car.”
ya udah says
Another Moronic Money making rule !