COVID-19 Spokesperson Reisa Broto Asmoro Asks People Not To Go Home For Christmas 2021

Screenshot of Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19 Reisa Broto Asmoro in an online press release in Jakarta, Friday, November 26 (Photo: Sanya Dinda/Antara)

JAKARTA - Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19 Reisa Broto Asmoro asked the public not to return to their hometowns or going home during the 2021 Christmas and 2022 New Year celebrations.

"For our workers, we ask to reschedule the tradition of returning home or going home during Christmas and New Years to ensure the circulation of the virus does not move from cities to villages, because there is potential for crowds in various modes of transportation," Reisa said in an online press release in Jakarta, as reported by Antara. , Friday, November 26.

According to him, the tradition of returning home also has the potential to create clusters of COVID-19 transmission from extended families. He asked people to go home at other times than Christmas and New Year.

"It has been proven that the impact of the 2021 Lebaran homecoming and high mobility at Christmas and last New Year has created a new cycle of transmission," he said.

After the 2021 Eid holiday, he said, Indonesia recorded additional daily cases of up to around 50 thousand per day, an increase of more than 1,000 percent compared to the previous period.

"The Maulid Nabi and Christmas 2020 collective holidays have added more than 5,000 new daily cases, up 100 percent from the previous month," he said.

Through the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 62 of 2021 concerning Prevention and Control of COVID-19 at Christmas 2021 and New Year's 2022, the government has actually banned the leave of ASN, TNI, Polri, BUMN employees and private employees during Christmas and New Year. He hopes these instructions can be obeyed.

"The Minister of Home Affairs also asked the regional government to eliminate arts, culture and sports activities from December 24, 2021 to January 2, 2022, close all squares on December 31, 2021 until January 1, 2022, and regulate the activities of street vendors in crowd centers so that I can keep my distance," he said.

Satpol PP, Satlinmas, and Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers, as well as firefighters were also asked to increase preparedness and be actively involved in preventing and overcoming public activities that could disrupt public order.

"We also ask them to prevent and overcome mass gathering activities or crowds in public facilities, entertainment facilities such as shopping centers and restaurants, tourist attractions, and worship facilities, during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods," said Reisa.