COVID-19 Spokesperson Asks Churches To Prepare Online Christmas Worship Options

ILLUSTRATION/Jakarta Cathedral Church/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Government Spokesperson for the Handling of COVID-19 Reisa Broto Asmoro asked the church to provide an option for Christmas 2021 worship from home.

"Online with the worship procedures that have been prepared by church administrators and managers so that the church's capacity does not exceed 50 percent of the maximum limit," Reisa said, quoted by Antara, Friday, November 26.

He asked Christians who will worship and celebrate Christmas 2021, and especially committees in churches, to form a health protocol task force for handling COVID-19.

This task force is expected to coordinate with the regional COVID-19 handling task force which aims to ensure the security and safety of the congregation during worship and Christmas celebrations.

"We are sure that KWI, PGI, and other Christian religious organizations already have good health referrals and worship arrangements because this is the second Christmas we have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

People who celebrate Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022 at home will also benefit more because they can maintain the health and warmth of their families.

"This is not the first New Year we don't celebrate too much, this is the second time we celebrate. We must be solemnly grateful at home with our loved ones and dear family," he said.

The public must pay attention to other potential disasters which are not only natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and other predictions from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), but also disasters caused by COVID-19. Prevention is also better than reacting when many victims fall.

"Prevention and preparedness are much better than treating and rehabilitating or reconstructing," said Reisa.

According to him, Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022 are an opportunity to prove that Indonesia is able to get out of the pandemic while still implementing health protocols. In addition, tests, testing, tracing, and treatment will also be intensified so that PPKM can still be maintained at level 1 or under control.

"The vaccination program is also accelerated to reach 70 percent of the target by the end of this year so as to increase mutual immunity which has succeeded in reducing the number of hospitalizations or hospitalizations and drastically cutting the death rate," said Reisa.