TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has called on the public to be patient in celebrating Eid al-Fitr 1441 Hijri during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are concerned that many people celebrate the holidays in a concerning condition, unlike in the past years. So I ask all to be patient in facing this situation,” said Ma'ruf in a statement in Jakarta, Friday, May 22.

Ma'ruf even mentioned 2020 as the year of sadness since the country’s programs and public activities could not run normally. Representing the government, he also apologized to all Indonesians for the government's efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic that were not yet optimum.

Besides the fact that the vaccine for COVID-19 has yet to be discovered, the country's high population also poses a challenge for the government in dealing with the pandemic, he added.

“We, the government, apologizes as the danger [of coronavirus] is not over yet. It is not easy to eliminate it because Indonesia has high population compared to other ASEAN countries,” the Vice President remarked.

To contain the pandemic, Ma'ruf Amin said that public efforts and compliance with the government’s orders are required. “Some people are also lacking discipline and not following the health protocols, practicing physical distancing, wearing face masks, avoiding gatherings and crowds.”

ANTARA