Sandiaga Uno Answers The Question Of Homecoming Ban But Local Tourism Is Allowed: Last Year After Eid, Positive Cases Rose 94 Percent

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government bans people from homecoming for Lebaran 2021. However, at the same time, the government allows tourist attractions to be opened. The goal is that people who are unable to go home can still enjoy local tourism in the area where they live.

This policy to open tourism is clearly considered contradictory. Not a few people are confused about the policy of banning homecoming but traveling in the local area is allowed.

Responding to this, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno appealed to the public not to be confused about government policies.

"The public should not be confused about the ban on homecoming, but local tourism is recommended. Government rules not to go home must be obeyed, because they learned from the experience of the spike in COVID-19 cases during homecoming last year and on the Christmas holiday," he said in a virtual press conference, Monday, 19 April.

Sandiaga said that during the Eid homecoming last year, there was a 94 percent increase in cases and an increase in cases on the Nataru holiday by 70 percent. Therefore, the regulation on the prohibition of homecoming is purely carried out so that the focus of the government in suppressing the spread of COVID-19 through micro-scale PPKM can be realized.

"Homecoming is not allowed. Point. We are firm, there is mobility, the agglomerations are conveyed. Obey the direction of the government, coordinate with the local government," he said.

Due to the ban on homecoming, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy anticipates it by ensuring that local tours that can be visited are ready to implement strict and disciplined health protocols.

"We anticipate homecoming is not allowed. So there is an alternative for community visits within the PPKM framework."

"This is what we hope that all tourist destinations and centers of the creative economy should prepare themselves to comply with strict and disciplined health protocols," he said.

Sandiaga said, his party also continues to coordinate with local governments regarding the opening of local tourists. One of them is the Governor of Banten. He said that the final decision on the closure of tourism was in the hands of the government and the local task force.

"If transmission increases, the decision to close tourist spots and creative economy centers are in the hands of the local government. So we have to convey the health protocols with a capacity limitation of 50 percent. From a protocol perspective, 3M, 3T, this must be done," he said.