The Minister Of Home Affairs Asks That The Prohibition On Homecoming Be Obeyed So That It Is Not Like India

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian asked the public to comply with the Lebaran homecoming ban in order to reduce the spike in COVID-19 cases. This was done so as not to repeat the same case as in India.

"We shouldn't be like in India. Why, because they are euphoric, forget to obey health protocols, crowd around, don't wear masks, and don't keep their distance," said Tito, as quoted by Antara, Saturday, April 24.

The Minister of Home Affairs emphasized what happened in India because in the last few months there were large events including regional elections in five states and religions that had generated very large crowds as well.

One of the largest is the Kumb Mela ritual, in which millions of Hindus bathe in the Ganges River, without implementing any health protocols.

There, thousands of people came to the ritual. As a result, the number of COVID-19 cases in India has increased dramatically in a day, reaching the highest rate in the world.

"Not to mention the stadiums everywhere are full, the audience is without masks, so we can see what is happening in India today. Not to mention the new variant of COVID-19 originating from India," said former National Police Chief Tito Karnavian.

According to the Minister of Home Affairs, the spike in COVID-19 cases that occurred in India could have occurred in Indonesia if the government did not take anticipatory measures, one of which was imposing a ban on the Eid homecoming.

"That's why we ask the public to understand and learn from the cases that occurred in India so that they do not happen in Indonesia," he said.