Coordinating Ministry For Human Development And Culture: Community Activities At Christmas-New Year Are Not Restricted

JAKARTA - Assistant Deputy for Emergency and Post-Disaster Management of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) Nelwan Harahap said the government would not limit community activities during Christmas and New Year's time other than through the abolition of collective leave.

"We don't expect to suppress more community activities because in principle the economy must continue to run with health protocols that are consistently applied and can be implemented widely," Nelwan said at the virtual Merdeka Barat Forum which was monitored in Jakarta, Friday.

Nelwan said the government and the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture as the coordinator were formulating technical policies to control the spread of COVID-19 during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Previously, the government had abolished collective leave on December 24, 2021 and did not allow employees to take leave in early 2022 to extend their New Year's holiday. These two policies are expected to keep the mobility of the people from being too high.

"Inputs from various parties and sharing roles with local governments are the spearhead of controlling COVID-19, as well as how to keep the community disciplined in carrying out health protocols," he added.

He said the results of the policy formulation ahead of Christmas and the new year would be disseminated to the public by utilizing various media platforms.

The government will also cooperate with influencers so that the message they want to convey is more understood by the public.

Meanwhile, regarding the current community economy, Nelwan views that the previous tiered implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) will not seriously disrupt the community's economy.

"For this reason, the government maximizes social protection programs through programs such as social assistance (bansos) which have been widely developed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and other relevant ministries," he said.

Currently the government is also continuing to raise aid from the community through the Solidarity and Generosity Movement for Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"So we will not leave the community alone to face their problems, especially in the economic field," he said.