End Of Year 2020 Holidays Trimmed To Reduce The Burden Of Medical Workers

Illustration of empty bench on the beach (Image by Steve Bidmead from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - In a pandemic like this, holidays and an increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 are two separate things. The medical personnel, which have been inactive for almost a year, need to reduce their workload.

The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy is worried that if the holidays and joint leave at the end of 2020 are not cut back, the COVID-19 cases will again surge like the case of the previous holiday.

"The reason is that it has been proven that after each holiday it is rather long, followed by an increase in COVID-19 cases. Either in August or last October," said Coordinating Minister Muhadjir, Thursday, November 3.

Indonesia, said Muhadjir Effendy, still needs hard work to be able to control the spread of COVID-19. Although the cure rate has increased above the world average, the fatality rate is still above the world average.

"Therefore, with the reduction, we hope that the long holiday at the end of the year can still be controlled. Hopefully, the number of cases will drop sharply," he said.

Muhadjir also hopes that by cutting year-end holidays, medical personnel can work more freely and be less burdened by the possibility of new cases. Including the availability of facilities including beds for handling can still be available within tolerance limits.

"And what's more important, of course, is that the economic pulse will keep moving because there are still quite long holidays too," he said.

The official government has reduced the long holiday at the end of the year and the ration for replacement leave with Eid al-Fitr. This was decided in a meeting of a number of ministries.

The amount of the 2021 Christmas and New Year holidays has been cut from the 11-day rations previously planned.

"In essence, according to the direction, we decided that the Christmas and New Year holidays would still exist and still add a holiday to replace Eid," Muhadjir said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, December 1.

Holidays are designated on the 24th, 25th, 26th, and 27th of December as collective leave for Christmas. "The 24th is holidays with Christmas, the 25th is Christmas Day, the 26th is Saturday and the 27th is Sunday," Muhadjir said.

Then December 28, 29, and 30 were not designated as holidays. All employees work as usual. The three-day replacement plan was eliminated as a leave with Eid al-Fitr.

"Only then, December 31 is a substitute holiday for Eid. Then January 1 because the new year is 2021. Then, January 2 is Saturday and January 3 is Sunday," said Muhadjir.