Prevent Crowds, Pontianak Has No Cap Go Meh Celebration Event

Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono. (ANTARA/HO Public Relations Pontianak City Government)

PONTIANAK - The Pontianak City Government, West Kalimantan, has canceled the 2022 Cap Go Meh celebration in an effort to prevent crowds that could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

"Not only that, the eve of the 2573 Chinese New Year celebrations, which are usually enlivened with fireworks, has also been cancelled," said Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, January 26.

According to Edi Rusdi, who also serves as the Head of the Pontianak City COVID-19 Task Force, the city government implemented the policy in an effort to prevent the emergence of clusters of COVID-19 transmission.

The mayor of Pontianak said that even though the celebration was cancelled, residents were still allowed to worship at the temple by implementing health protocols: wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands with soap and running water before and after activities.

"Later on, we together with TNI/Polri personnel will conduct security in places of worship on Chinese New Year so that the implementation of worship continues to be safe and conducive," he said.

Edi Rusdi also appealed to Chinese citizens to celebrate Chinese New Year in a simple way, not to hold activities that bring a lot of people.

According to the Pontianak City Health Office, there were 40 new cases of COVID-19 during January 2022, after several months there were no additional cases of corona virus infection in Pontianak City.