Papuans Want To Watch The XX 2021 National Sports Week? Governor: Get Vaccinated First

JAKARTA - Papua Governor Lukas Enembe said Papuans who want to watch the XX 2021 National Sports Week (PON) must first be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Lukas Enembe, who is also the General Chair of PON XX Papua Committee, said that PON participants, as well as the committee and the community around the venue, must be vaccinated against COVID-19, as stated by President Joko Widodo in a limited meeting with related Ministries/Institutions.

Therefore, according to Lukas, if the public wants to watch the XX Papua PON match, they must first vaccinate against COVID-19.

"Don't be afraid to get vaccinated, you can go to a doctor and check your health, if you have a congenital disease, you don't need a vaccine", said Lukas Enembe through the Papua PON page, reported by Antara, Friday, July 16.

Furthermore, he stated that Papua is very ready to hold the four-year event because, in terms of infrastructure, everything has been completed, there are only a few parts that need to be addressed.

"Overall, we are ready, Papua is also safe, and we are all obliged to keep Papua safe and peaceful for everyone who will come to Papua", said Lukas Enembe.

In terms of security, he said that the National Armed Force (TNI) Commander and the National Police Chief had expressed their readiness to support the implementation of the PON XX and the XVI National Paralympic Week (Peparnas)  in Papua.

Previously, Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Zainudin Amali emphasized that the implementation of the XX PON and the XVI National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) in Papua in October and November will implement a very strict bubble system, as used in the Tokyo Olympics.

“I think we will have very strict rules. There is one event in front of us, namely the Tokyo Olympics. We will see how we learn from it because they implemented a bubble system", said the Menpora after attending a Limited Meeting (Ratas) chaired by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) via video conference in Jakarta.

With the bubble system, Zainudin explained that all related parties will be closely guarded and can only carry out activities related to the PON XX and the Peparnas.

"So, the bubble system means only from the inn to the match venue, where the match returns to the inn", explained Zainudin.

On the other hand, he added that all contingents that will participate in the PON XX and the Peparnas XVI have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

"For athletes, coaches, officials, and support staff, those who came from the 33 provinces were reported to have been vaccinated, and also for the contingent in Papua", said Zainudin.

While regarding the attendance of the audience, he said it would be decided in September, in accordance with the development of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

However, he emphasized that if it was decided that the match could be attended by a limited audience, then the audience must have been vaccinated.

"Once again I emphasize, if the decision is that all matches may be watched, then we can be sure that all those who watch have been vaccinated. For those who do not want to be vaccinated, they are definitely not allowed to watch", said Zainudin.

The PON XX Papua is scheduled to take place on October 2-15, 2021 in four clusters of match organizers, namely Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Merauke, and Mimika Regency.