Violating On The First Day Of PPKM, Waterboom Lippo Cikarang Was Sealed

The Waterboom Lippo Cikarang water attraction was sealed by the Bekasi Regency Government (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Bekasi Regency Government, West Java, sealed the water tourism spot Waterboom Lippo Cikarang on the first day of the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM).

"We have sealed this location and temporarily closed it until an indefinite time limit," said Bekasi Regency COVID-19 Task Force Chairman Eka Supria Atmaja at the sealing location, reported by Antara, Monday, January 11.

Eka said that the closure of this tourist attraction was carried out considering that the management of the tourist site was proven to have violated health protocol rules by bringing in crowds that could potentially cause the spread of COVID-19.

"This closure is related to a violation of health protocols. Waterboom management did not coordinate with the local government so that there was a crowd. We agreed with the economic recovery but did not reduce caution towards health protocols," said the Bekasi regent.

The Bekasi Regency Government, he said, is paying more attention to maintaining the safety of its citizens from COVID-19 transmission so as not to allow violations of health protocols by any party.

"Due to yesterday's incident, for the time being we will close this location until an indefinite time limit, we are still waiting for the results of the evaluation of the health protocol carried out by the manager of this place," he said.

Head of Bekasi Metro Police, Sr. Comr. Hendra Gunawan, said that the sealing of Waterboom Lippo Cikarang was carried out by the regional government together with the Regional Supervision Inspectorate of Polda Metro Jaya.

"The manager of Waterboom Lippo Cikarang has committed quite serious violations because they carried out activities that resulted in quite a large crowd," he said.

Apart from sealing, his party will also conduct an examination of the manager of Waterboom Lippo Cikarang to find out whether the activity is categorized as a criminal offense.

The Police Chief explained that the violation of the health protocol at Waterboom Lippo Cikarang began with the implementation of a surprise promo at the beginning of the year by the management of tourist attractions on Sunday, January 10 yesterday.

The promo makes the ticket price which is usually sold at Rp. 95 thousand or the manager said that it is Rp. 50,000, discounted to Rp. As a result, visitors who wanted to enjoy the discount program exploded, causing crowds both in and around the swimming pool area.

"This discount is conveyed through the WA application from the manager to his colleagues and also through Instagram. The crowd that happened yesterday caused no longer guarding distances and even many did not wear masks," he said.

On-site monitoring, sealing was carried out directly by the Regional Supervision Inspectorate of Polda Metro Jaya together with the Bekasi Metro Police, Kodim 0509, and the Bekasi Regency Government.

The officer posted a paper that read 'Administrative Sanctions for the Bekasi Regency COVID-19 Task Force, This Location is Temporarily Closed'. Access to the counter and the entrance is fitted with a police line. The Waterboom Lippo Cikarang area also looks quiet, there is no activity whatsoever, only a number of security officers and