Government Removes Joint Leave To Suppress People's Movement Ahead Of Year-End Holidays

Photo Archive. Prospective long-distance train passengers walk at Pasar Senen Station, Jakarta. (Photo: Aprillio Akbar/Antara)

JAKARTA - The government has removed the 2021 Christmas holiday to suppress the movement of residents towards the end of the year to prevent a spike in COVID-19 transmission.

As quoted in a written statement received by the government in Jakarta, Wednesday, the abolition of the Christmas Holiday collective leave on December 24, 2021, is contained in a joint decree of the Minister of Religion, the Minister of Manpower, and the Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform regarding national holidays and joint leave of 2021.

"This policy is solely carried out to limit the movement of more massive people ahead of the year-end holidays", said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, October 27.

According to him, the government also prohibits state civil servants (ASN) from taking leave by taking advantage of the momentum of the national holiday.

The Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform has issued a circular regarding restrictions on activities traveling outside the region and or leaving for ASN during the 2021 national holiday.

"We are trying to suppress as little as possible those who will travel. And this has been given a barrier fence. Starting from the absence of joint leave, then we will ban them from taking leave", said Muhadjir.

"I ask that later there will be a large-scale campaign to urge people not to travel. Not to return to their hometown, or to travel for non-primary purposes", he said.

Muhadjir said that residents who have to travel must meet travel requirements and undergo strict inspections.

Requirements for residents who want to travel include having undergone vaccination and carrying a negative certificate of PCR test for users of air transportation facilities and antigen tests for users of land transportation facilities.

"So that later we hope that the number of those who will travel can be limited and also controlled. Especially in monitoring to avoid the possibility of follow-up symptoms, namely they go back and forth carrying COVID-19 souvenirs", said Muhadjir.