More Than 100 Pilgrims From South Kalimantan Are Planning To Go For Umrah This Month

Head of Hajj and Umrah Organizing Regional Office of the South Kalimantan Ministry of Religion H Rusbandi (ANTARA)

KALSEL - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kanwil Kemenag) of South Kalimantan Province said more than 100 Umrah pilgrims in the area planned to depart this month.

The Head of Hajj and Umrah Organizing at the Regional Office of the South Kalimantan Ministry of Religion, H Rusbandi, revealed that there were two travel companies that informed them that they would dispatch Umrah pilgrims in the near future.

"There are 35 people, 90 people," he said in Banjarmasin, Antara, Wednesday, February 9.

The number of pilgrims who are planning to depart, he said, is in accordance with the recapitulation of the report on the departure of the Provincial Umrah Umrah Travel Organizer (PPIU) which is submitted to the Regional Office of the South Kalimantan Ministry of Religion. It was stated that the One Gate Policy (OGP) scheme for the departure of Umrah pilgrims was considered good and successful with no cases of positive COVID-19 pilgrims leaving and arriving in Saudi Arabia.

According to Rusbandi, the One Gate Policy (OGP) scheme will continue to be implemented in accordance with the Decree of the Minister of Religion (KMA) Number 1332 of 2021 regarding the implementation of Umrah during the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the implementation of health screening, it can be done at the Hajj hostel or hotel.

"Implementation in the hajj dormitories is to become a standard and pattern for handling pilgrims before the departure of Umrah in hotels," he explained.

For the quarantine period, according to the Decree of the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 number 4 of 2022 with a period of 5 days for recipients of the complete dose of vaccine and 7 days for recipients of the first dose.

According to him, regarding the possibility of using airports other than Soekarno-Hatta for the departure and repatriation of Umrah pilgrims, this is the authority of the National Task Force for Handling COVID-19.

This is because opening access to arrivals for citizens from abroad to Indonesia is also related to the readiness of airport facilities and quarantine facilities.

According to information, said Rusbandi, the Ministry of Religion will write to BNPB to propose opening airports in other cities as places for departure and return of Umrah pilgrims. This is to anticipate buildup.