Music And Sports Festival Can Now Be Held, The COVID-19 Task Force Reminds About Health Protocols

COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries (Kemenparekraf) announced that sports, music, and exhibitions could be held again even though the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended.

In response to this, Wiku Adisasmito, spokesperson for the Task Force for handling COVID-19, asked the organizers of the activities and events to make thorough preparations. This is because the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation providers, to food and drink service providers are classified as vulnerable to being exposed to COVID-19 due to the intense interaction.

"If we want to open an activity with a high enough risk and high impact, of course, it needs strong and mature preparation", Wiku said as quoted from a written statement on the Ministry of Tourism's website, Wednesday, March 10.

Wiku said that the event had a very significant economic impact. But be reminded not to hold activities without ensuring health safety.

Given, in a pandemic like this, it is important to create a community environment that is safe from transmission of the virus but also productive.

"For that, there are stages in creating the environment, starting from preconditions, timing, injury, coordination with the central and regional governments, to monitoring and evaluation", he explained.

"So, if we want the event and MICE industrial activities to be revived, we need to carry out these stages. Hopefully, this can be our common step for the Indonesian economy to rise safely with COVID-19", added Wiku.

Previously, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno said that activities that provoke the presence of the community such as sports events or events, music, MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions), and cultural events can be held again. However, these activities must be carried out with strict and disciplined health protocols.

In addition, these activities must be carried out with strict and disciplined health protocols and comply with CHSE elements, namely Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability.

Even though it is allowed, however, he emphasized that the organizers continue to implement digitalization in every activity. This refers to the stipulations regarding the implementation of events related to the location of activities which are classified into three zones, namely the red zone, the yellow zone, and the green zone.

Events in the green zone, Sandi continued, can be carried out openly while still implementing strict health protocols. As for the yellow zone, events are carried out in a hybrid manner, which is limited to open and can be accessed online.

"And if it is not in a position to carry out activities (red zone, red) then there is an option to run the event virtually", Sandiaga said.

"This flexibility is what hopefully event friends can build", he added.

There is also in the implementation of the event directly, in the future, Kemenparekraf will cooperate with the National Police, the COVID-19 Task Force, the Ministry of Health, and the Regional Government. The goal is to ensure that the events that are held are always based on strict health protocols and are disciplined to prevent transmission of the virus.

"In essence, we welcome this as a bright spot, a glimmer of hope that activities in the creative economy sector, especially those related to organizing events, can take place again. Gentleman, start your engine with street compliance to health protocol", Sandi concluded.