Avoid Crowds Prevent COVID, Pangkalpinang City Government Forbids Holding People's Parties At RI's 76th Anniversary

Deputy Mayor of Pangkalpinang, M. Sopian (black suit) after attending the plenary meeting (Photo: ANTARA)

PANGKALPINANG - The Pangkalpinang City Government, Bangka Belitung Islands Province appealed to residents not to hold a people's party on the commemoration of the 76th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Currently, we are jointly struggling to control and break the chain of transmission of the virus, so there should be no celebrations that are gathering people," said Deputy Mayor of Pangkalpinang, M. Sopian in Pangkalpinang, Antara, Monday, August 16.

The local city government will also not carry out celebrations of people's parties, various competitions, entertainment stages and others in order to avoid crowds and the potential for COVID-19 transmission.

"Currently the Pangkalpinang City Government is struggling to break the chain of COVID-19, so activities that are crowd-building have been eliminated," he said.

According to him, the government cannot work alone in breaking the chain of the spread of COVID-19, for this reason support from the entire community in complying with the 5M health protocol is needed, namely wearing masks, washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and reduce mobility.

"For mobility or traveling, it can still be done for very urgent and important needs," he said.

According to him, interpreting the momentum of the anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's Independence is not always by holding entertainment events or people's parties, but can be done in other ways according to the current situation and conditions.

M. Sopian invites all components of society to interpret the anniversary of Indonesia's Independence this time by working together and synergizing to break the chain of spread of COVID-19 by complying with health protocols.

"Nationalism and the spirit of nationalism this time we manifest in the form of caring for others and obeying health protocols. Let's work together to break the chain of spread of COVID-19," he said.