80 Million People Are Estimated To Do Homecoming For Eid This Year, The Government Prioritizes Vaccination In Jabodetabek

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendi when reviewing the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine (PHOTO: Public Relations of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendi said the government is preparing various strategies ahead of this year's Eid al-Fitr homecoming.

Moreover, 80 million people are expected to return to their hometowns after two years of not being able to carry out this habit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the strategies adopted is to optimize the complete COVID-19 vaccination program, including boosters in a number of areas.

"This vaccination is indeed prioritized in areas where the homecoming departs such as Jabodetabek, West Java, Central Java and big cities in East Java and cities outside Java including Medan, Makassar and surrounding areas," said Muhadjir in a written statement quoted on Wednesday, April 13.

Not only in the areas where the homecomers are, the government, said Muhadjir, is also intensifying vaccinations in all sectors, including the destination areas for travelers.

"We have also prepared places to go home to. Therefore, we continue to intensify this vaccination in all sectors and all parts and we use the momentum of Ramadan to hold Ramadan vaccinations," he said.

It is hoped that with complete vaccination, travelers will be able to protect themselves and their relatives in their hometown from exposure to COVID-19.

Apart from health, the government is also preparing transportation infrastructure. Muhadjir said that currently strategies to control the surge in travel on land, sea and air routes are being prepared.

For example, for land routes, good road infrastructure and rest areas are designed on toll roads, preparing mobile gas stations. Then for the sea route, the travel of large passenger ships is designed to be prioritized. For the air route, an additional runway is opened for aircraft.

"And we have prepared everything. The coordination is with the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of SOEs, Pertamina, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Later we will move together to help," he said.

Muhadjir advised people who had planned to go home to be able to prepare themselves well. Supplies, health conditions, and vaccines to protect himself and his family from COVID-19. Including the condition of the vehicle when using a private vehicle.

"My message to the public is to prepare supplies for leaving, that includes the condition of their vehicles, their safety, especially against the threat of COVID-19. Don't come to the homecoming place carrying virus gifts. And we hope that after Lebaran this COVID-19 will actually decrease and We are entering an endemic period," he concluded.