Government Asks People To Stay Obedient To Prokes During Year-End Holidays

Director General of IKP of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Usman Kansong and Special Staff of the Ministry of Transportation Adita Irawati at the Ministry of Communication and Information, Central Jakarta, Monday (11/12/2023). (ANTARA/Livia Kristianti)

JAKARTA - The government asks the public to adhere to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands regularly on year-end holidays as an anticipatory measure so that COVID-19 cases do not spread again.

"We will still urge the public to remain careful because COVID-19 has soared again. In one airline, we are always reminded. This is not only washing hands, but also wearing masks. We have started to appeal to the public," said the Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Information. Usman Kansong reported by ANTARA, Monday, December 11.

This step was requested by the government considering the confirmation of the increase in weekly cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia submitted by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday last week (6/12).

Usman said a similar message had also been intensified by the Ministry of Health so that the public could return to implementing health protocols as a precaution against the surge in COVID-19.

The Ministry of Communication and Information, apart from asking the public to be careful when traveling on year-end holidays, also has a mission to echo messages so that people can adhere to health protocols during the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays.

The Special Staff of the Ministry of Transportation Adita Irawati in Jakarta, Monday, confirmed that even though there was an appeal for the public to obey health protocols, the public could still carry out activities and mobilize normally during the year-end holidays.

As a sector leader in the national Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 holidays until now, the Ministry of Transportation has not made a decision to tighten regulations and limit passengers for public transportation to operate as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Referring to information from the Ministry of Health when announcing the spike in weekly COVID-19 cases last week, the increase in cases was still at a safe level. Thus, the Ministry of Transportation has not implemented a restriction rule on the use of public vehicles used by people to mobilize during the year-end holiday period.

Even so, the public is asked to maintain their health protocol as part of the anticipation of COVID-19 during the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays. Adita said the current health protocol in the form of an appeal was not mandatory.

"The point is that regarding health issues, we will refer to the Ministry of Health as the leader of the sector. However, until now there has been no new protocol for travelers," said Adita.