Luhut Banning New Year Crowds Anticipating Surges Of COVID-19 Cases

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The government has decided to ban crowds and celebrations on the Christmas 2020 and New Year 2021 holidays in public places in an effort to anticipate a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The decision was taken at the Coordination Meeting for Handling COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java and Bali virtually, Monday, December 14 led by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Luhut asked for the implementation of tightening to start on 18 December 2020 to 8 January 2021.

"The number of positive numbers and the death toll continues to increase after the holidays in eight and 20 provinces, after the previous downward trend," said Luhut in a written statement in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Tuesday, December 15.

There was a significant increase in cases that continued after the holidays and joint leave at the end of October were also the basis for a tightening decision that needed to be done.

Luhut also underlined the increasing trend in the provinces of DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, Bali and South Kalimantan.

He also asked DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to tighten the employee policy to work from home (work from home) by up to 75 percent.

"I also asked the Governor to continue the policy of limiting operating hours to 19:00 and limiting the number of people gathering at dining establishments, malls and entertainment venues," he pleaded.

On the other hand, so that this policy does not burden the tenants of business premises in malls, Luhut who is also Deputy Chair of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KPC PEN), asked shopping center owners through the Governor of DKI Jakarta to provide rental and service charge relief to tenants (tenants).

"Rental and service charge relief schemes (service fees) should be mutually agreed between shopping centers and tenants. Examples include pro rate, profit sharing, or other schemes," he said.

Luhut added that activities that have the potential to gather large numbers of people, such as celebrations and religious events, are limited or prohibited. He suggested that activities could be carried out online.

Luhut also ordered the TNI / Polri to strengthen behavior change operations.

"This will be preceded by a rally of the TNI / Polri led by the President as a form of strengthening commitment," he said.

Apart from DKI Jakarta Province, similar directions were also conveyed to the Governors of West Java, Central Java and East Java. These directives include optimizing the use of centralized isolation, strengthening justice operations to ensure the implementation of centralized isolation and 3M's health protocols (washing hands, wearing masks and maintaining distance).

"I ask local governments to also tighten social restrictions based on urban and suburban / rural contexts," he said.

Meanwhile, in the urban / urban context, Luhut continued, local governments were asked to tighten the implementation of Work From Home (WFH) and limit the operating hours of restaurants, entertainment, malls until 20:00. Meanwhile, in rural areas, local governments are asked to strengthen the implementation of social restrictions at micro and community scales.

Finally, for the province of Bali and others, Luhut advised that there should be a tightening of health protocols in rest areas, hotels and tourist attractions.

"We ask that tourists who are boarding a plane to Bali must take the PCR H-2 test before their flight to Bali and require the H-2 rapid antigen test before land travel to Bali," he said.

To regulate the mechanism, Luhut also asked the Minister of Health, the Head of BNPB and the Minister of Transportation to immediately regulate the procedure.

"I ask that today the SOP for the use of the antigen rapid test will be completed immediately," he said.

Responding to Luhut's request, DKI Governor Anies Baswedan on the occasion emphasized that in DKI Jakarta it is prohibited to carry out New Year activities that gather large numbers of people, as well as direct Christmas celebrations together.

"We enforce this, Mr. Coordinating Minister and I hope the same policy applies in one area of Jabodetabek," he said.

Anies added that he would begin to impose rapid antigen tests on people who enter through airports.