Riau Islands Ban The 2022 New Year's Party To Prevent COVID-19 Transmission

ILLUSTRATION ANTARA

TANJUNGPINANG - The Riau Islands COVID-19 Task Force forbids residents from holding a 2022 New Year party that has the potential to cause crowds of people to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

A spokesperson for the Riau Islands COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Tjetjep Yudiana, said that ahead of Christmas and 2022, the central government has set the Implementation of Level III Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) so that it prohibits residents' activities that cause crowds.

The restriction on community activities is also to anticipate the spread of the Omicron variant or B.1.1.529, which is currently in Singapore.

Activities in houses of worship are allowed, but the number of people is limited. Religious activities in places of worship are also limited, as in the previous PPKM III, it is only allowed to fill 50 percent of the capacity of the house of worship.

"This is solely to prevent the transmission of COVID-19," said Tjetjep, who is also the former Head of the Riau Islands Health Office, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, December 1.

During PPKM Level III, he said, ASN is prohibited from taking leave. The Riau Islands COVID-19 Handling Task Force also appealed to all employers not to allow their employees to take leave.

For sea travel outside the region or between islands, it may be tightened, such as the implementation of a swab test using the PCR method for residents who have just been injected with the first dose of vaccine, then for residents who have been injected with the vaccine twice, a swab test using the antigen method is required.

"The regulations are still being drafted, adapted to local conditions and needs," he said.

Tjetjep appealed to the public to adhere to health protocols. Medical masks must always be used correctly as an effort to prevent COVID-19 and other variants from entering the body through the mouth and nose.

Based on data as of November 30, 2021, the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Riau Islands is 10 people, spread in Batam seven people, Tanjungpinang two people, and Karimun one person.