Jokowi Says 18.9 Million People Will Continue To Homecpoming Even Though It Is Prohibited

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked regional heads to continue to socialize the ban on homecoming in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because, he got the data, there are still 18.9 million people who are still going home to their hometowns.

"Once again, be careful with Eid homecoming. Be careful with Eid homecoming, be careful, checking, controlling the homecoming is very important", Jokowi said in the President's Briefing for Regional Heads throughout Indonesia in 2021, which was broadcast on Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel, Thursday, April 29.

Jokowi explained, based on a survey that had been conducted, 89 million people wanted to go home before the ban was issued by the government. This figure then dropped to 33 million and even to 29 million when the government issued a regulation on the ban on homecoming.

"As soon as the socialization is done, we tell the governor, mayor about the ban on homecoming (the percentage, red) drops to 7 percent. However, the figure is still large, 18.9 million people who are still homecoming", he said.

"Therefore, it must be conveyed the ban on homecoming so that it can be reduced the desire of the community", he added.

Jokowi also admits that he is worried that there are still many people who still want to return to their hometowns in the middle of Eid Al-Fitr. So, he asked regional heads and their staff to apply the applicable rules to prevent significant transmission of COVID-19 cases in the community.

"I am really still worried about going home in Eid Al-Fitr, but I believe that if the local government is assisted by Forkopimda (Coordination forum of regional leaders), everything will immediately regulate control, starting from the discipline of health protocols, I am sure the increase will not be like last year's up to 93 percent", he said.

Previously reported, the Government through the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 tightened travel requirements before and after the 2021 Eid homecoming ban.

This is stated in the Addendum to Circular Letter Number 13 of 2021 concerning the elimination of the Idulfitri 1442 Hijriah homecoming. In the addendum, travel requirements have been tightened since D-17, the homecoming period is prohibited, namely April 22 to May 5 and until D+7 on May 18 to 24.

As for the protocol, travelers for air, train, sea, and sea crossings on D-14 and D+7 are required to show a negative RT-PCR test result or antigen rapid test whose sample is taken a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure.

If you want to use GeNose, do it just before departure. Then, the traveler must fill out Indonesia's e-HAC.

Especially for routine trips by sea transportation mode for limited shipping within the area of one sub-district/regency/province or urban agglomeration area (Jabodetabek) are not required to show a negative test result letter.

The protocol for land public transportation travelers will be a randomized rapid test antigen or GeNose C19 test by the respective regional COVID-19 Task Force.

For private land transportation players, Doni appealed to the RT-PCR test or rapid antigen test, the samples of which were taken a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure. You can also test the GeNose C19 in the rest area as a requirement to continue your trip. Then, a random test will be carried out if the regional COVID-19 Task Force is needed.

Then, children under the age of 5 are not required to take a COVID-19 test as a condition of travel. If the test results are negative but the traveler has symptoms, they may not continue their journey and are required to return to the RT-PCR test and self-isolation.