Eid Homecoming Prohibited Or Allowed? COVID Task Force: Be Patient

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi admitted that he did not prohibit the implementation of the Eid homecoming this year. However, it turns out that it has not answered whether homecoming will be allowed this year.

Chairman of the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 Doni Monardo asked the public to patiently wait for the government's decision. Because, this decision must be discussed by a number of ministries.

"We have to be patient. In the near future, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Airlangga Hartato) as the Chairperson of KCP-PEN will chair the meeting, so that the homecoming decision will become the basis for all of us," Doni said in a virtual press conference on Youtube EkonomiRI, Friday, March 19.

Doni said, decisions related to going home on holidays needed various considerations. Because, based on the experience of several long holidays before, COVID-19 cases are always increasing.

Therefore, every long holiday, the government always prohibits ASN, BUMN employees, TNI and Polri from going out of town. For private employees, the government is simply appealing not to travel.

"We hope that the company leadership reminds employees to be patient. COVID-19 is not over. The number of active cases has decreased and healed has increased, BOR, which is below 50 percent on average, is only a few provinces, above that is below 70 percent," said Doni.

Previously, Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for the COVID-19 Task Force, asked the public to be wise in traveling.

Because, if many residents travel to return to their hometowns, it will increase the risk of transmitting COVID-19.

"In principle, whether going home or not going home is prohibited, I expect a wise attitude from the community to be able to make the best decisions, especially long trips that have the potential to increase transmission," said Wiku.

Moreover, according to Wiku, until now there has been no official decision regarding whether or not people can go home during the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr this year.

"So far, policies related to Eid homecoming are still being discussed by the relevant ministries and institutions," he said.