Omicron Variant Emerges, Commission V Asks Ministry Of Transportation To Finalize The Mobility Concept Ahead Of Christmas-New Year

The atmosphere of the meeting at Commission V of the DPR with the Ministry of Transportation (Photo: Nailin In Saroh/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has compiled a scenario for limiting going home for the Christmas and New Year's 2022 holidays by considering the increase in COVID-19 cases that occurred in Europe and the United States.

Including the anticipation of the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, which has spread in a number of countries.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission V, Lasarus asked the Ministry of Transportation to finalize the concept of limiting community mobility with other partners. Considering that Indonesia has experienced bad experiences related to the spread of COVID-19 at Christmas 2020, New Year 2021, and Eid al-Fitr 2021.

"How can we not experience the same incident when we were not very successful in controlling Nataru last year, and were very unsuccessful in controlling the last homecoming and Eid," said Lasarus in a working meeting with the Ministry of Transportation at the House of Representatives (DPR) Building, Wednesday, December 1.

The PDIP Party politician reminded that the immaturity of the concept and the government's negligence resulted in an increase in the spread of COVID-19 so that the highest peak of cases occurred after the Eid or Eid holidays.

"Therefore, we take this important lesson as a valuable experience so that this year we can start from the implementation of Nataru's escort and later as a preparation for the 2022 homecoming," said Lasarus.

According to him, the careful preparation of the working partners of the House of Representatives Commission V is no less important in helping the country avoid a spike in COVID-19. Although, Lasarus acknowledged that the full authority for handling the Coronavirus was in the hands of the COVID-19 Task Force.

Moreover, there is now a new variant of COVID-19 which spreads rapidly, namely the Omicor variant which was first discovered in South Africa.

"I think this should also serve as a yellow light for us to make better preparations the previous year in dealing with Nataru's control this year," said Lasarus.